General Council: Civilians fall victim to treacherous bullets in Afrin

The General Council of the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods issued a statement to the public opinion on Monday, condemning the crimes committed by the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries in Afrin.

The statement was read in Kurdish by Dunya Bakr, the deputy head of the General Council of the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods, and in Arabic by Mostafa Mohamed, the administrator in the council, in front of the Olive Roundabout in Ashrafiyeh neighborhood. The event was attended by a large number of representatives from political parties, civil society organizations, residents of the two neighborhoods, and displaced people from Afrin.

Images of the citizens who lost their lives in Afrin during the past week were held, and they were Shukri Ahmed Osso (65 years old), Mohamed Ahmed Darwish (55 years old), and Mostafa Mohamed Isso. They were killed as a result of the systematic policies pursued by the Turkish occupation against the original inhabitants of Afrin.

The statement noted, "Afrin is living today under the weight of wounds that are renewed with every sunrise over a city once known for its peace, its olive groves, and its ancient antiquities; a city that has always been a refuge for all Syrians, regardless of their ethnicity, throughout the years of war."

The statement emphasized that the city of Afrin is currently suffering under a series of ongoing violations and crimes that not only burden its inhabitants but also stifle the very spirit of life within it. It highlighted the olive tree, not only as a source of livelihood but also as a living root of collective memory and the identity of the land, as its groves are subjected to systematic looting and theft, targeting farmers' crops and deepening their daily suffering.

The statement revealed that "this year, the olive thefts were carried out in a different manner, under the guise of the Economic Committee, which confiscates farmers' lands under the pretext of incomplete paperwork and obstruction of its issuance in government offices."

The statement drew attention to the fact that the pain was not limited to the theft of the harvests, but also extended to the cultural heritage of Afrin, as its monuments are being systematically destroyed to obliterate the identity and change the demographics of the region. It stressed that the attack on the monuments is not just the destruction of silent stones, but rather the erasure of the spirit of history and the distortion of its past, of which its people cherish.

The statement condemned the repeated killings, noting that civilians have become victims of treacherous bullets or attacks that have claimed their lives, in flagrant violation of human rights and the dignity of life. It stated, "Despite the control of the so-called Transitional Government, which is supposed to protect the people and enforce the law, fear has become the constant companion of the residents, and ambiguity surrounds every crime."

The statement held the Syrian Transitional Government, the international community, and human rights organizations fully responsible for the daily violations, crimes, and killings, asserting that the aim is to eliminate the original inhabitants of the region and displace them in order to effect demographic change.

The statement demanded "the protection of civilians and their property, the prosecution of the perpetrators of these crimes, and the urgent fulfillment by the Transitional Government of its obligations towards the people of Afrin."

J.J

ANHA