Ongoing violations | National Army factions impose levies and steal olive crops in Afrin

Aleppo province: During the past few days, members of Al-Hamza faction stole and harvested the crop of nearly 100 olive trees in Korka village in Maabatli district. The owner of these trees did not file a lawsuit against the faction members, fearing that the faction would fabricate a charge against him and arrest him for “dealing with the Autonomous-Administration.”

Meanwhile, a member of Jayish Al-Islam faction sold an flat in Al-Ashrafieh neighbourhood in Afrin city, north of Aleppo, for 1,500 USD and fled to Al-Bab city, following several attempts by the General Security Service of Hayyat Tahrir Al-Sham to arrest him.

Moreover, Al-Sultan Murad members of checkpoints imposed levey of 50 Turkish liras on drivers and agricultural tractor owners in the villages of Halobi in Afrin countryside and Maidanki in Sharan district, as a tip.

In October, SOHR has documented over 85 other violations distributed as follows:

 

-Ten incidents of seizure and selling of 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.

 

-Nine incidents of imposition of levies on civilians by factions, the most prominent of which are as follows:

 

A levy was imposed by Al-Amshat faction on civilians under the pretext of “protection.”

A levy was imposed by Al-Hamzah Division in Jendires district, where the new levy is estimated to be 50 percent of the olive harvest in farmlands belonging to forcibly displaced people and 25 percent of the olive harvest in farmlands belonging to civilians living in villages under the control of the faction.

A levy of five percent of olive harvest was imposed by HTS on farmers in Sheikh Hadeed district.

A levy was imposed by Mohamed Al-Fateh faction, which estimated to be the half of olive harvest in farms located in areas under the faction’s control in Raju district.

-Five incidents of felling fruit-bearing trees by factions of Turkish-backed “National Army,” where over 225 olive trees were cut down in several areas in villages and districts of Afrin.

 

-47 thefts carried out by “National Army” factions, including the looting of nearly 4,267 olive trees in Afrin affiliated districts.

 

-Nine incidents of seizure of olive farmlands by Turkish-backed factions:

 

Liwaa Al-Samarqand seized farmlands containing 2,000 olive trees.

Jaysh Al-Sharqiyyah seized farmlands containing 200 olive trees.

Sultan Murad faction seized farmlands containing 340 olive trees.