The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Protests and strike by the locals in al-Shaddadi city south of al-Hasakah after decision of the Internal Security Forces to prevent the entry of motorcycles into the area

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored a demonstration this morning for tens of citizens in al-Shaddadi city, which is controlled by the Syria Democratic Forces in the southern countryside of al-Hasakah, followed by a strike by the residents represented by closing their commercial shops and some of the main roads in the city, protesting against preventing motorcycles from entering the area by the Internal Security Forces, after the booby-trapped motorcycle bombings increased in the area.

The Syrian Observatory published on the 21st of September 2019 that members of the Internal Security Forces “Asayish” arrested the head of the educational complex in Tell Brak town of the Autonomous Administration, and sources informed the Syrian Observatory that the arrest came after the latter demanded decreasing the fuel price; and because he also criticized the treatment of Asayish checkpoints with teachers of the educational complex, amid demands for releasing him, and the Syrian Observatory published on the 17th of September 2019 that Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the internal security forces “Asayish” arrested the “municipality Mukhtar of the Autonomous Administration” in Tal Brak town in the countryside of al-Hasaka, for reasons of corruption and misappropriation of funds, where he was arrested yesterday Monday, and the Syrian Observatory published on the 16th of September 2019 that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that after midnight of yesterday a force of the Syria Democratic Forces raided the villages of al-M’ejel and Bsitin near al-Suwar town in the northern countryside of Deir Ezzor, and arrested several former members of the “Islamic State” Organization in addition to arresting former fighters of the rebel factions, and they were taken to an unknown destination until the moment, and the Syrian Observatory published this morning that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights was informed by reliable sources that members of the Intelligence Forces of the Syria Democratic Forces; arrested a young man in the countryside of the al-Raqqah city, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: members of the intelligence arrested a young man who resides in Germany after he visited the place of residence of his family in the southern neighborhood of al-Tabaqa city in the countryside of al-Raqqah last Tuesday, without knowing the reasons and motives of the arrest, it worth mentioning that 2 of the brothers of the young man are members of the Syria Democratic Forces, and the Syrian Observatory published on the 10th of September 2019 that the Syria Democratic Forces arrested 2 of its leaders, they are a YPG leader and the other in the Deir Ezzor Military Council in al-Busayrah town in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, on charges of corruption and managing the smuggling from the river crossings, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored on the 6th of September 2019 that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored a continuous public discontent after the Syria Democratic Forces released an oil investor who deals with the “Islamic State” organization, without any justification from leadership of the Syria Democratic Forces about the reasons of his release, where the investor is paying money for the Organization in exchange for them not get near his oil tanks, and the arrest did not exceed 48 hours, this comes at a time when the Autonomous Administration, Asayish, and the counter-terrorism have been arresting civilian activists in al-Raqqah city for nearly a month, without any condemnation amid information about handing them over to the International Coalition, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on the 4th of September 2019 that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the Syria Democratic Forces released a person invests oil from the SDF about 48 hours after being arrested with the support of the International Coalition on charge of dealing with the “Islamic State” organization, in Al-Shuhayl town in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, while the SOHR monitored heavy gunfire in the vicinity of the released person’s house celebrating his release, which resulted in the injury of 2 citizens one of them has seriously injured, and the SOHR published on the 2nd of September 2019, that the Syria Democratic Forces with support from warplanes of the Coalition, raided the home of a person invests oil from SDF from al-Tank field; and at the same time he pays royalties to the “Islamic State” Organization, where he was arrested from his home located in al-Shuhayl town  in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, also up to 100 million Syrian pounds were confiscated from the house, while gunfire was heard in the area during the raid caused by gunfire from the Syria Democratic Forces to prevent the citizens from leaving their homes, and the Syrian Observatory published this morning that a joint force of the Syria Democratic Forces and the International Coalition raided a house in Baghuz village in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor on Sunday evening, and arrested a former security personnel of the “Islamic State” organization along with 4 members of al-Bokamal Regiment of SDF who were involved with the security personnel, where this he had made a settlement with SDF after they took control of most of the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor at the time, but then it turned out that he is still connected to the Organization and its cells which are heavily present in the area, and it is worth mentioning that the Coalition tried to arrest this security personnel at the end of last Ramadan after raiding a house he lived in at al-Jerthi village east of Deir Ezzor, but he was able to escape, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published yesterday that the popular discontent is increasing within areas of control of the Syria Democratic Forces east of Euphrates against the background of practices of the latter in light of the security campaign against ISIS cells, where sources of the Syrian Observatory reported that a force of the Syria Democratic Forces raided after midnight of yesterday al-Busayrah city in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, and arrested 11 civilians, the sources added that the force arrested civilians from their homes after raiding and stealing large sums of money and gold, without accusing them with anything until the moment, which sparked anger of the civilians in the area after “confiscating” the private property of citizens and the arbitrary arrests; under the pretext of the security operation, and the Syrian Observatory published that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that tens of residents of the villages of al-Izba and M’eizileh north of Deir Ezzor city carried out a demonstration on Saturday, the 24th of August 2019, against the Syria Democratic Forces demanding the return of cars detained by the customs department of the Self-Administration and the Syria Democratic Forces’ closure of Salhiya crossing with regime forces’-controlled areas, where rubber tires were burned and roads through it were closed, and the decisions of Self-Administration to close Salhiya crossing has increased smuggling activity to regime forces’-controlled areas, which disrupted the business of civilians who are working on vehicles that transport goods through the crossing which was closed, and the Syrian Observatory published on the 18th of August 2019, that Al-Raqqah city which is controlled by the Syria Democratic Forces, is witnessing great discontent among the people over the arbitrary arrests carried out by the anti-terrorism forces and internal security forces “Asayish” during the past 7 days; against 6 activists working within civil society organizations which work on rehabilitating infrastructure, support agriculture, repair dams, and support the education field, and the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: a force of Asayish and the anti-terrorism arrested 4 people in al-Raqqah city on the 10th of August 2019, and they are: Salah al-Kat’e, director of the information office of the New Horizons organization, Iyas al-Abbu, a media activist in the same organization, Anas al- Abbu, director of the traffic safety project, and Khalid al-Saud, responsible for the follow-up and evaluation of the project, and while it was expected that the incident will be avoided and the detainees to be released; the internal security forces and anti-terrorism carried out new arrests, where a force of them raided the house of Hassan Qassab aka “al-Mukhtar,” who is an administrator in Creative Organization of Euphrates Program on Friday, the 16th of this month, and sources told the Syrian Observatory that the members hit al-Qassab and his wife and broke the contents of the house before arresting him, also Ahmad al-Hashloum, who is the chairman of the board of directors of Inma’a Organization in al-Raqqah city yesterday, Saturday, while sources from the internal security said that the arrest of some of them took place on charges of dealing with the “Islamic State” Organization; and others on charges of dealing with the Turks.

We in the Syrian Observatory call on leadership of the Syria Democratic Forces to immediately release the civilian activists, and hold those responsible for arbitrary arrests accountable and limit this phenomenon, and to bring the “accused” to justice to receive a fair trial if found guilty.

The Syrian Observatory published on the 3rd of August 2019 that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the Syria Democratic Forces arrested 4 persons from Al-Raqqah during the recent days, of those who work in civil society organizations, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights; the activists who were arrested, work within the civil society organizations which work on the rehabilitation of infrastructure, supporting agriculture, repairing dams and supporting the educational field, in addition to media activists who also work within civil society organizations, sources from the SDF informed the Syrian Observatory that the arresting of some of them came against the backdrop of accusations against them of dealing previously with the “Islamic State” organization, while others were arrested on charge of dealing with the Turks, we in the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights call upon the SDF to release the civil activists immediately and refer the accused people to judiciary.

The SOHR published on the 3rd of August 2019, that the case of the former members and leaders of the “Islamic State” Organization who became part of the Syria Democratic Forces; is still the number one issue in the east Euphrates area, in the light of the continues silent by the Syria Democratic Forces about their practices, particularly, with the large activity of the organization’s cells in the area, where reliable sources informed the Syrian Observatory that a major corruption experienced by al-Raqqah in the construction sector of thefts and abuses and so on…, by people who used to be in the ranks of the Organization and then became prominent figures in this field, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: a former local leader of the Organization who participated in the attack against Ayn al-Arab (Kobani) and was arrested in al-Raqqah province for several months, then he was released and became the first construction man in al-Raqqah with the blessing of the Syria Democratic Forces, where he now controls the construction sector in the city and he mediated to release former fighters of the Organization to become next to him in his position, the former Amir now owns several farms in al-Salhiyyeh area and a personal escort and weapons, taking advantage of thefts and abuses in the construction field, the most recent of which was stealing more than 200 thousand tons of iron from buildings destroyed by previous military operations in al-Raqqah, and he is involved in it along with other persons, but other workers in this field were set-up and accused of stealing the iron and them they were imprisoned, amid widespread and persistent public discontent over the issue of former fighters in the ranks of the organization, where the Syrian Observatory published on the first of August 2019 that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the rise of level of displeasure among civilian and military circles; over practices of members of the Syria Democratic Forces who used to be fighters with the “Islamic State” Organization before they carry out a “settlement” and join the ranks of the Syria Democratic Forces, the self-defense, and other of the forces controlling the east Euphrates area, where reliable sources told the Syrian Observatory that the Brigade 42nd in al-Kubar town in the western countryside of Deir Ezzor witnessed purely terrorist practices by former fighters of the Organization; who are now in the ranks of self-defense now, where these members are terrorizing the new volunteers who were sent to the Brigade 42nd, by threatening to kill them and showing them videos of them carrying out slaughters and killings when they used to be in the ranks of the “Islamic State” organization as well as starving them, which led to their illness, because the person responsible for delivering food to the members in the Brigade 42nd is a former member of the Organization and he distributes food to his friends in the Organization and their families and acquaintances of him in al-Kaff town, while the leadership of the Syria Democratic Forces did not take any action towards these practices and violations, which are spreading in every place east of Euphrates due to the presence of large numbers in the ranks of Syria Democratic Forces who used to be ISIS fighters, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on the 26th of April 2019 that Ain Issa town northwest of al-Raqqah city, which is under the control of the Syria Democratic Forces, is witnessing increased popular discontent due to practices of the town’s “traffic police”, where reliable sources informed the Syrian Observatory that the former members of the “Islamic State” organization who were appointed by the Syria Democratic Forces within the “traffic police” in Ain Issa; have wrote more than 1200 different ticket against the residents and people of Ain Issa in 3 days, and the sources added that the former ISIS fighters are taking the “traffic police” as an excuse to intervene in everything, where they roam the streets and neighborhoods heavily armed in vehicles equipped with heavy weapons, which paralyzed the movement in the town fearing the actions of those members, the thing which was met with no reaction by the Syria Democratic Forces, and despite the widespread protests and daily complaints, the Syria Democratic Forces has not taken any action against the perpetrators of these violations, which threatens with protest against SDF in the area as is the case in towns and villages in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, where the Syrian Observatory published on the 17th of April 2019 that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that widespread public discontent prevails in Ain Issa town, which is under the control of the Syria Democratic Forces in the northwestern sector of al-Raqqah countryside, due to the practices, behaviors and violations practiced by several “traffic police” in the town, and reliable sources told the Syrian Observatory that the perpetrators of these violations are former members and Emirs of the “Islamic State” Organization, back when ISIS controlled the area, before their situations were “settled” after SDF’s control of the area, where they were turned to “traffic police”, and the same sources told the Syrian Observatory that the violations are represented by imposing bribes and royalties on cars and trucks and in particular which belong to the Kurds, not to mention the shameful acts against the pedestrians in the streets and the harassment of the citizen women, and imposing tickets as they please on the cars.