Felling trees and selling civilians’ houses | Turkish-backed factions continue committing violations in Afrin

Aleppo province: SOHR activists have reported that a member of Al-Hamza Division sold a house in Al-Ashrafiyah neighbourhood in Afrin city for 1,300 USDs to a displaced civilian from southern Aleppo countryside.

Moreover, a displaced civilian from Aleppo countryside sold a house in Al-Ashrafiyah neighbourhood for 3,500 USDs, which belonged to a woman from Amara village in Ma’batly district.

Jaish Al-Islam faction took over a house in Tarnada village in Afrin countryside and sold it to a displaced civilian from Al-Ghouta Al-Sharqiyah, which belonged to a civilian from Basofan town in Shirawa neighbourhood.

In Shiran district, a group of displaced civilians felled nearly 75 olive trees completely in Qartaklak village in Afrin countryside, under the pretext that the trees belong to a civilian affiliated to the Autonomous Administration, who lives in Kurdish-held areas.

In June, SOHR has documented various violations distributed as follows: 

• 15 incidents of selling displaced people’s houses which had been forcibly seized earlier by Turkish-backed factions. The houses were sold at low prices and in US dollars in particular.

• Two incidents of seizure of shops by members and commanders of the “National Army” factions, and these shops were rented out to displaced people at low rental fees.

• 15 incidents of imposition of levies on civilians by factions and military police, including 11 incidents were of levies imposed in return for the release of detainees, an incident of imposing a levy by “Al-Jabha Al-Shamiyyah” on contractors and an incident of imposing a levy by “Nour Al-Din Al-Zenki” faction on a civilian instead of evacuating his house.

• Three incidents of felling fruit-bearing trees by factions of Turkish-backed “National Army,” where over 155 olive trees were cut down in several areas in villages and districts of Afrin.

• Five thefts carried out by “National Army” factions, including looting of home appliances, doors and windows.

It is worth noting that these violations do not include arbitrary arrests and kidnaps which took place in that region in June 2022.