PYD Women’s Council condemns attacks on women in Tel Hasel l, Tel Aran

The Women’s Council of the Democratic Union Party issued a statement to the public opinion on Wednesday, from the party headquarters in the city of Qamishlo, condemning the attacks that targeted women and the elderly, as well as the arrest of Kurdish youths in the towns of Tel Hasel and Tel Aran in the countryside of Aleppo. The incidents were carried out by General Security forces affiliated with the Syrian Interim Government on Tuesday.

The statement was read in both Arabic and Kurdish; in Arabic, it was delivered by Houri Shamdin, spokesperson for the Women’s Council of the Democratic Union Party, while in Kurdish it was read by party member Sorin Akrem.

The statement included: “At a time when Syria was expected to be taking serious steps toward consolidating the principles of justice and equality, foremost among them enshrining women’s rights and guaranteeing them constitutionally, the Interim Government continues to pursue policies that are inconsistent with the principles of pluralism and the recognition of the rights of all Syrian components. This raises serious concern regarding the future of rights and freedoms in the country.”

The Women’s Council of the Democratic Union Party strongly condemned all practices and violations targeting Kurdish civilians, including attacks against women and the elderly, as well as the arrest of Kurdish youths in the towns of Tel Hasel and Tel Aran, despite the agreement concluded regarding the return of displaced persons to their original areas.

The statement said that these policies reflect an approach that undermines the prospects of building trust among Syrians, deepens divisions, and contradicts any serious process aimed at establishing a democratic state based on the rule of law and respect for human rights.

It stressed that building a stable and secure Syria can only be achieved through full recognition of women’s rights and ensuring their effective participation in various state institutions and decision-making centers, alongside recognition of the legitimate rights of the Kurdish people, safeguarding the rights of all Syrian components, and entrenching the principle of genuine national partnership and equal citizenship, away from all forms of discrimination and exclusion.

Accordingly, the statement called on “international and humanitarian organizations, as well as women’s rights organizations, to assume their legal and moral responsibilities, take a clear and firm stance on these violations, and work to protect civilians and exert the necessary pressure to stop all practices that infringe upon human dignity, ensure respect for women’s rights and the rights of the Kurdish people and all components of Syria, in line with international conventions and recognized human rights standards.”

ANHA