The Christian Political Foundation for Europe (CPFE) has released a statement refuting the allegations voiced in a report by AINA (Assyrian International News Agency) dated November 2nd, which accused YPG (People's Defense Units) of human rights violations, expropriation of private property, illegal military conscription and interference in church school curricula.

The Foundation firstly responded to the accusation of “enforcement of new curricula in private and public schools” which was denounced in an alleged joint press statement by sixteen Assyrian and Armenian organizations protesting “Kurdish expropriation of private property in Hasaka”. The news agency cited the Amal Assyrian Elementary School in Hasaka as has been occupied and intervened by the Kurdish militia.

“Those behind the message published by AINA want to give that school back to the regime after the regime abandoned it and it was taken by ISIS. After that it was captured from ISIS by Syriac Military Council and YPG. The person responsible for the building has been told that he is free to continue the education but that the building cannot be handed back to Assad control. Assad aims to put his military in that building as it is strategically located and can be used tactically as fortification. It is obvious that the regime cannot be trusted with this as they were unable to defend this location against ISIS” said the Christian Political Foundation for Europe (CPFE, formerly ECPF), an association that acts as the political foundation for the European Christian Political Movement (ECPM).

Another allegation refuted by the Christian Political Foundation was that “Most recently the YPD has taken the decision to confiscate what it calls "abandoned emigrant property," which is the property of internally displaced Syrians, driven away from their homes by the Syrian conflict.” The Foundation stated that there is no confiscation law, adding; “There was a proposal adopted in parliament in Amuda to deal with the abandoned properties due to emigration. In this proposal property under management by first and second degree family members was excluded. However this proposal was NOT adopted by the government.”

CPFE continued by responding another allegation that “YPG militia killed David Jendo, the commander of the Assyrian Khabour village guards, in April this year. The guards were established to defend the Khabur villages from ISIS.” The Foundation said those who killed David Jendo got between 12 and 20 years sentences.

The Foundation said it is incomprehensible that some Syriac Christians are against education legislation that allows Aramaic to be educated in public schools for the first time in history.

Regarding the claim that YPG enforced special taxes, the CPFE continued by highlighting the followings; “The fact that those behind the AINA story call the taxation and subscription by the Assad regime 'legitimate' shows that they in fact are backing the Assad regime and are simply against opposition to the regime. They expose the political nature of their message and demonstrate that they are in fact propagating the regime.”

The Foundation voiced doubts that the alleged joint statement published by AINA might have been made 'on behalf of all these groups' whose names were listed in the report.

Also refuting the allegation that “the Kurds form about 30 percent of the population in Jazeera region (provincial capital Hasaka) but increasingly act as occupiers of the region”, the CPFE underlined that; “If Syriac Christians were indeed oppressed by their Kurdish neighbours, why are they fighting side by side against ISIS (https://www.facebook.com/Syriac-Military-Council-MFS-495168480591866/?fref=ts)? If this allegation would be true, why would they co-operate in governing this area as the Syriac Union party does? So, the AINA message only represents those who are simply pro-Assad.”