file of abducted Syrian Kurds in Turkey returns to the spotlight

In the aftermath of the abduction of four Kurdish citizens in Serekaniye and their transfer to Turkish territory on April 4, the issue of Syrian Kurds detained by the Turkish occupation forces in the city has returned to the forefront, raising questions about their fate and legal future.

Since Turkey and its affiliated armed groups occupied the city of Serekaniye in late 2019, the city has witnessed a wave of violations against residents, including abduction, enforced disappearance, and torture, in breach of international humanitarian law, according to rights advocates.

According to documentation by the Ta’azur Human Rights Association, 890 people have been abducted in recent years, including 92 women and 56 children, while 346 individuals remain forcibly disappeared.

The association also recorded 766 cases of torture, with violations leading to the deaths of 7 individuals under torture.

In another aspect, 121 abductees were transferred to Turkish territory, where 62 of them received judicial rulings ranging from 13 years to life imprisonment.

In its commentary to ANHA agency on this issue, the association, along with other rights advocates, called for the return of all abductees to Syria and for them to be tried in accordance with Syrian law and international norms, ensuring their full legal rights, their right to defense, and a fair trial, along with guarantees against torture or enforced disappearance.

On April 4, our agency reported that a displaced family from the city of Serekaniye stated that members of the “Military Police” factions present in the city abducted their son, Juma Ahmad al-Azzo, along with three others in the countryside of Serekaniye, while they were heading to the city to check on their property and the situation there.

The family of Juma al-Azzo, originally from the village of Al-Manajir south of the city, explained that Juma was heading to Serekaniye accompanied by Mahmoud Hubo and his son Walat, both residents of the city of Tal Tamr, in addition to Ahmad Qasim al-Awad, a resident of the Serekaniye area.

The family indicated that the abduction took place near the village of Al-Aliyah, noting that during their attempts to inquire about the fate of the abductees, it became clear that the “Military Police” had handed them over to Turkish intelligence, after which they were transferred into Turkish territory.

Human rights organizations affirm that transferring Syrian abductees and trying them before Turkish courts constitutes an illegal measure and a violation of Syrian sovereignty and principles of jurisdiction, and deprives them of their right to a fair trial within their own country.

International human rights bodies also emphasize, as part of their core principles, that the continued detention of any citizen outside their homeland represents a grave breach of international humanitarian law. These principles call on all parties to monitor the process of returning abductees, reveal the fate of the forcibly disappeared, and hold those responsible for violations accountable.

ANHA