On the eve of Newroz, corresponding to March 20, 2023, some fighters of Jaysh al-Sharqiya Faction/The Construction and Liberation Movement, affiliated with the Turkish-backed opposition Syrian National Army (SNA), killed four unarmed Kurdish civilians in Jindires city in Afrin countryside, northwestern Syria, on the backdrop of celebrating Newroz Day and lighting its bonfire; one of the most essential rituals adopted by the Kurds annually, with the participation of other peoples in Syria and throughout the region.
The signatories of this statement stand in solidarity with families of this attack’s victims, wishing the injured a speedy recovery for the wounded, and affirm that they stand alongside all the victims and survivors across Syria. The signatories also call on all the inhabitants in Afrin, both natives and the displaced, to synergize to counter human rights violations committed by SNA armed groups and urge them to reject attempts to create a rift between local communities in Syria.
It is not the first time Afrin-occupied by Turkey and its proxies SNA factions since March 2018- has witnessed crimes and human rights violations. Several independent local and international organizations and UN commissions have documented repeated and systematic patterns of human rights violations, such as murder, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, ill-treatment, torture, looting, and property seizure, in addition to forcing the Kurd inhabitants to leave their houses, obstructing the return of the native people and practices of Turkification and demographic changes.
It is worth mentioning that this crime took place at a time when Jindires city, among other areas, has yet to recover from the impact of the destroying earthquake in February 2023, which claimed the lives of hundreds of residents. Around 1,100 people died in Jindires alone due to the earthquake. Thousands of buildings were damaged, leaving at least two thousand families homeless, while several armed groups were politicizing, diverting assistance, and denying access to populations in need.
Following the crime of murder, massive public demonstrations took place in Jindires and other areas in Afrin. Protestors denounced the de-facto authorities and demanded the ousting of the SNA’s factions from the region and providing international protection for the civilians to put an end to the violations committed by those factions. The signatory organizations declare complete support for these demands and call on:
1. The United Nations:
- To take all necessary measures to protect the civilians in Afrin and across Syria, as well as pressure Turkey as an occupying power to assume its legal responsibilities in ensuring public order and safety and maintaining law and order;
- To pressure the Turkish government to stop the demographic changes in Afrin, Ras al-Ayn/Serê Kaniyê, and other regions, commit to the provisions of the 1907 Hague Agreement and hand over the administration of those areas to their Syrian indigenous people;
- To take adequate measures to stop the expansion of the terrorist-designated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)/formerly al-Nusra Front in Afrin and other northern Syria regions. The terrorist-designated organization took this crime as a pretext to advance in Jindires and its countryside and take control of the SNA’s headquarters in Jinderis.
2. The United States government and the European Union:
to operationalize the sanctions against entities and commanders of the armed Syrian factions involved in committing human rights violations and extend the sanctions to include the rest groups and individuals responsible for the violations in northern Syria, including Turkish officials who effectively run those areas.
3. To War Crimes Units in the countries, their enactments allow trials under the principle of universal jurisdiction, the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM), and the competent international organizations:
Intensify their work on documenting all violations by all parties, particularly those in Afrin and throughout northern Syria targeting specific racist, religious, or ethnic groups.
4. The International Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic:
To release a briefing on the human rights situation in northern Syria, particularly in the areas under the effective control of Turkey, including Afrin, Ras al-Ayn/Serê Kaniyê, Tall Abyad, A’zaz, and al-Bab.
In addition, the organizations signing this statement call on the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces and the Syrian Interim Government (SIG), as well as all political bodies under its umbrella, to assume their legal, political, and moral responsibilities toward all the crimes committed in Afrin and call them to intervene to halt the violations of its armed groups and support the demands of the local population.
Organizations and Associations Signing the Statement:
- Act for Afrin
- Adel Center for Human Rights
- Afrin Media Center
- AFRIN PLATFORM
- Afrinpost Network
- AINSHAMS Organization
- Al Amal for Coexitennce Organization
- Al RIYF Association
- ALAHD Organization
- aldiyar Association
- Alghaithdev Organization
- Al-Hasakah Organization for Relief and Deve
- Al-Khaboor Association
- Amal Afrin Association
- Analysis and Strategic Study Organization
- Anwar al-Ghad
- Arak East Organization
- Aras charity
- Areej Organisation
- Awda for Development
- Azdeihar Organization
- Better Life Organization
- Better Tomorrow Organization
- Bridges of Love
- Bridges of peace for development
- Bukra Ahla Association for Relief and Development
- Caesar Families Association
- Center for Research and Protection Women’s right in Syria
- Cloud
- Community Solidarity Organaization
- Country Raqqa Organization
- S.C
- DAN for Relief and Development
- Dari Organization
- DAWLATY
- Deirna for Development
- Demokratik women network
- DemoS
- Dijla Organization for Development and Environment
- Droep Foundation
- Ebdaa Organization for Development
- Edraak Organization for Development and Peace
- Ella Organization For Development and Peacebuilding
- Engineering for Services and development
- Enma al Jazera Organization
- Enmaa Organization
- Ensaf for Development
- Euphrates NGO
- Ezdina Organization
- Families For Freedom
- Fariq Snnae al-Mustaqbal
- For Them Organisation
- Forerunner 4 Development & Empowerment & Education
- Friends Charity Association
- General Union of Kurdish Writers and Journalists in Syria
- Green Women’s Association
- GWN Organization
- Hajin Technicians Organization
- Haneen Alfurat
- Hdf Humanitarian
- Hevy for Relief and Development
- Hope Makers Organization
- House of Citizenship Organization
- Human Hope Team
- Human Rights Committee in Syria – MAF
- Human Rights Organization in Syria – Maf
- Human Rights Organization in Jazeerra
- Human rights organizations Afrin- syria
- Humanitarian and Development Cooperation
- Inmaa al-Furat FDO
- Inshaa Masar Organization
- Intensive Care Association
- International Organization for Development and Human Rights
- Iwaa Organization
- Jasmine Association
- Jinar for Aid and Development
- Jiyan Charity Association
- Jsor al-amal
- Khutwa Association
- Kurdischer Rat in Deutschland e.V
- Kurdish Committee for Human Rights (RASSED)
- Kurdish Cultural Association in Geneva
- Kurdish Feminist Voices
- Kurdish National Congress of North America
- Kurdish Organization for Human Rights in Syria (DAD)
- Kurdish Swiss Alliance
- Laila Initiative
- Lamsatalkhierfor Relif and Development
- Lelun Association for Victims
- Les Kurdes Rojava en France
- Lights for Development and Construction
- Maakom for Devolepment and Peace
- Mahabad Organisation for Human Rights MOHR
- Manara Organization
- Mary Association for Culture, Arts and Environment
- Muwatana
- Nawras Organization for development
- NES Mine Action center
- Nujin Society for Community
- Okaz
- Oxygen Shabab
- Peace she Leaders Network
- Peace Sounds
- PÊL- Civil Waves
- Platform of Wheat and Olive
- Platform Syrische Koerden in Nederland
- Purity
- Qadar Organization
- Raja Organization
- Ras Al-Ain Platform
- Reng
- Rewangeh Organization
- RFD Organization
- Rights Defense Initiative
- Roj Kar for Relief and Development
- Roj Mine Control Organization
- Rojava Organization for Relief and Development
- Rose
- Sahem Organization for Cooperation and Development
- SALAM Organization
- Sawaeed Organization for Development
- SCSD
- Sêl Organization for Development
- Shar for development
- Shawshaka Association for Women
- Silav Organization for Civil Activities
- SMART Center
- SOZ Association
- Sphere for Studies and Development
- Swaedna Organization for Relief and Development
- Synergy Association for Victims
- Syria Center for Development
- Syria Justice and Accountability Center
- Syrian Cancer Society
- Syrian Center For Media and Freedom of Expression
- Syrian Kurdish Civil Forces Gathering
- Syrians for Truth and Justice
- Tara organization
- Women For Peace
- Tel Abyad forum for civil society
- The civil Cooperation Team Organization
- The Kurdish Center for Studies
- Together for Algarnya organization
- Together for Deir Ezzor
- Train of Hope Dortmund e. V.
- Vision
- We Want our Detainees and Kidnapped Campaign
- Weqaya Association
- Wessal Development Organization
- Yasna organization for Zoroastrian religion and philosophy
- Youth for Change
- Zakon Organization
- Zameen Organization
- Zurna Development Organization
- Zirak for Development