Ibrahim Sheikho: over 160 abducted, 60 killed, 2,500 missing in Afrin during 2025

The director of the Afrin – Syria Human Rights Organization, Ibrahim Sheikho, reviewed the violations witnessed in Afrin over the past year, affirming that crimes have continued since Turkish-backed mercenaries took control of the region.

A new year of violations: 160 abductions and 60 killings

Sheikho explained that Afrin “saw nearly 160 abduction cases during the past year, and the organization documented around 60 killings, including four women, most of which occurred under mysterious circumstances at the hands of unidentified armed individuals without accountability.”

He added that “cases of harm and assaults against civilians during nighttime thefts have become a recurring scene amid widespread weapons, lack of accountability, and rampant insecurity that has become the city’s defining feature.”

Olive trees razing: thousands of trees were cut down and harvests looted

Regarding attacks on property, Sheikho said: “The number of fruit-bearing trees cut down exceeded 3,000, most of them olive trees, in addition to the burning of about 50 hectares of forest land. As for the olive season, the most significant event this year, documentation shows that more than 25,000 olive trees were stolen, while tens of thousands of other trees remain under the control of the mercenaries and the so-called ‘economic offices’ in Afrin.”

A year after the fall of the Ba’ath regime, Afrin sees no liberation

Ibrahim Sheikho stated: “A year has passed since the fall of the Ba’ath regime, yet the reasons that led to displacement still exist, and the violations in Afrin continue.”

He explained that “the weakness of the transitional government’s authority in Afrin has given mercenary groups the ability to run the region according to their own interests, making the return of displaced people fraught with major obstacles.”

Harsh humanitarian conditions for the displaced in the camps

The director of the Afrin – Syria Human Rights Organization also spoke about the situation of the displaced, particularly from Afrin, Ras al-Ain, and Tal Abyad, noting that “tens of thousands of families continue to live in camps in northern and eastern Syria amid a near-total absence of humanitarian aid. Winter has begun, and the displaced are in urgent need of heating, as well as food and health assistance. Unfortunately, no one is listening to their suffering so far.”

At the end of his statement, Sheikho said: “When the world celebrates Human Rights Day on December 10, we do not want it to be a symbolic occasion. It must be an opportunity to listen to the suffering of millions, especially in Syria and in areas under occupation.”

He pointed out “the existence of more than 2,500 missing persons in Afrin alone, including women and men, whose fate remains unknown. The UN Human Rights Council and international organizations must assume their responsibilities.”

Ibrahim Sheikho also addressed a message to the transitional government in Syria, saying: “The government must fulfill its duty to protect civilians. We, the displaced, are part of this homeland, and we have the right to return with dignity and safety.”

A-H 

ANHA