The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Afrin | Military court releases eight civilians after paying ransoms, while Turkish-backed militiamen arrest civilian in Bulbul

Aleppo province: Turkish-backed factions and military police continue to arrest civilians in Afrin on charge of “dealing with the former Autonomous Administration” with the aim to collect ransoms in return for their release. In this context, SOHR sources have reported that the military court in Afrin city released eight civilians from Afrin city and countryside on January 17, after each civilian had paid a ransom of 3,000 TL. It is worth noting that the court shares this money with the Turkish-backed factions.

 

On the other hand, members of a patrol of the military police arrested a civilian from Kayla village in Bulbul district for “participating in guard shifts during the Autonomous Administration’s control of Afrin city”, where the patrol’s member asked for a ransom for his release.

 

On January 17, SOHR activists reported that members of a Military Police patrol took a woman from Afrin as a hostage on January 12.

 

According to sources, the members illegally detained a woman from Ba’danly in Ma’batly district to pressure her husband to turn himself in to the police.

 

It is worth noting that the woman’s husband lived in Kurdish-held areas in Aleppo and he was accused of “dealing with the former Autonomous Administration”, where the Police members threatened to seize all his properties if he did not surrender.

 

Similarly, a Military Police patrol arrested a civilian from Al-Shawargha village in Shiran district and took him to Ma’ratah prison on January 3, for “dealing with the former Autonomous Administration” and blackmailed his parents to collect ransoms.

 

While on January 15, SOHR sources reported that members of Sultan Murad Division arrested a civilian from Darweesh village in Raju district on January 12. The civilian was arrested in Al-Ashrafiyah neighbourhood in Afrin city and his mobile phone was confiscated for unknown reasons.

 

It is worth noting that the civilian had been arrested in 2018, and he was released after paying a ransom of 6,500 USD.