The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Ongoing violations in Afrin | Turkish-backed militiamen assault civilians and arbitrarily arrest others

Aleppo province: SOHR sources have reported that members of a civil police patrol arbitrarily arrested, a few days ago, two civilians from Jendires district in Afrin countryside in north western Aleppo for “dealing with the former Autonomous Administration,” with the aim of collecting ransoms.

 

On the other hand, members of Sultan Murad Division brutally beat civilians who participated in the funeral of a Yazidi woman a few days ago. According to SOHR sources, the crowds participating in the funeral were heading to Bulbul district to bury the woman in district’s cemetery, but a group of civilians were beaten by the division’s militiamen who claimed that a civilian car was trying to hit their car. When residents interfered to prevent the militiamen from beating civilians, they were also beaten by the Turkish-backed militiamen who threaten to arrest the residents for “attempting to kill members of Sultan Murad Division and verbally abusing them.”

 

Meanwhile, the military police released a civilian from Dikiyah village in Raju district, after having paid a ransom of 300 USD. The man was arrested on August 23 for “dealing with the former Autonomous Administration.”