Afrin countryside | Military police members severely beat civilian, forcing him to pay 8,000 TL for his release

Aleppo province: SOHR activists have reported that members of “Al-Hamza Division” operating under the banner of the National Army, have severely beaten a civilian from Al-Jiaa in Sharan district and living in Maarata village in Afrin countryside, for insulting a worker affiliated with the armed factions in a shoemaking Workshop in this village.

According to SOHR activists, a clash has erupted between this civilian, who tried to defend himself, and an armed man of the national army, leaving one of the gunmen lightly wounded. A military police patrol later arbitrarily arrested the civilian, without investigating the circumstances of the incident. The military Police only took the statements of the gunmen and fined the civilian 8,000 TL for his release.

Meanwhile, military police have released a civilian from Deir Suan village in Sharan district, after paying a ransom of approximately 2,000 Turkish liras, as he had been arrested at the end of November. While another civilian from the same village is still detained for not paying a requested ransom.

On November 10, SOHR activists reported that Al-Hamzah Division imposed levy of an estimated 5,000 US dollars on a person from Al-Basoutah village by force and threatened to kill him if he did not pay the levy. His family paid the money after spending five days for collecting it.

On the other hand, Ahrar Al-Sharqiyah militants in Afrin arrested a person from Al-Omiraat tribe in the past week and took him to the faction security headquarters for unknown crime. The man was arrested and released several times by the same faction that also confiscated his house and farm.