Ongoing violations | National Army factions steal and fell olive trees in Afrin city

Aleppo province: SOHR activists have reported that “Al-Sham Corps” faction, which is close to Turkish intelligence, imposed a levy of olive oil can on each farmer in the seven villages in Raju district under the pretext of protecting olive trees from theft.

 

Al-Sham Corps members also threatened any farmer who refuses to pay the levy by leaving them vulnerable to theft.

At gunpoint, Al-Hamza faction also imposed levies of 150,000 SYP on the residents of Burj Abd Al-Wu village in Shirawa district in Afrin countryside under the pretext that Al-Hamza members would protect their fields during the harvest of fruit and grape, threatening to arrest anyone who refused to pay the levy on fabricated charge of “dealing with Autonomous Administration”

Meanwhile, an armed group and the families of Al-Sham Corps faction have stolen the crop of more than 30 olive trees in Simala in Raju district, although the olive fruit has not yet matured and ripened.

Furthermore, Afrin City Chamber of the Local Council imposed levies of 250 USD on the owners of olive presses in exchange for allowing them to operate the presses and receive the olive crop.

The chamber of the Local Council also imposed levies of 800 USD for the renewal of presses licences, and a levy of 350 USD on oil dealers and obliging them to deliver the oil to the Agricultural Credit Company.

Additionally, an armed group of the National Army cut down nearly 70 olive trees in Khaziana village in Maabatli district, in order to sell them as fire logs. These trees were originally owned by a resident of Juwaiq village in Afrin countryside.