Maat for Peace submits statements on Afrin and Shengal to UN Human Rights Council

Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights Association, has submitted a written statement to the 46th session of the Human Rights Council about Afrin.

Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights Association, has submitted a written statement to the 46th session of the Human Rights Council to condemn "the unjustified discrimination between human beings on the basis of ethnicity, religion, region or sex, and holds the de facto authorities in Afrin, topped by the Turkish forces, responsible for the release and safety of the detained women."

The statement said: "The factions of the National Army, or the military or civilian police, cannot commit similar violations were it not for Turkey's tolerance. We also call on all local and international human rights and humanitarian organizations and bodies, as well as international parties influencing the Syrian file, to put further pressure on the Turkish government to stop human rights violations and arbitrary arrests in areas under the control of its forces in northern Syrian Arab Republic."

Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights Association called on the "Turkish government to act urgently and pressure its forces, the National Army, and the military and civil police in the city of Afrin to:

Disclose the whereabouts and identity of the detained women, and release them immediately.

Open an investigation into the reasons for their detention and their conditions during the period of detention, and to hold the responsible accountable.

Immediately release all detainees in the headquarters of the military factions, especially women and children, and hold the perpetrators accountable.

Stop the arrests in Afrin without an official warrant issued by a competent judicial authority.

End cases of detention without trial.

Allow impartial organizations to have access to all detention centers and inspect the detainees’ humanitarian conditions, especially women.

Explain and clarify the legal bases on which the arrests and apprehensions are made, and publish them in a clear and understandable language for all residents in Afrin."

Statement on Shengal

Maat also submitted a statement on Shengal (Sinjar) calling on the "international community and the United Nations with its related bodies, to protect the population of Sinjar against Turkish air strikes by establishing a no- fly zone over the city and pressuring the Turkish government to stop its air strikes against them; to recognize the Autonomous Administration Council in Sinjar; to expedite the prosecution of the perpetrators, instigators and supporters of genocide, femicide and rape; and to provide material and financial support for the reconstruction of Sinjar."

Maat underlined that "the Iraqi government, in cooperation with the Kurdistan Regional Government, must take all necessary steps to alleviate the suffering of the people of Sinjar; remove all forms of bureaucratic obstacles to restarting public services; encourage government employees to return to their work and jobs; and accelerate the clearing of the area of explosive remnants of war and explosive devices. Maat also demands the relevant Iraqi authorities to achieve justice for the survivors and the families of the victims, by gathering evidence, bringing the perpetrators to trials, providing adequate compensation to the victims, and reaching a satisfactory solution guaranteeing the full rights of Yazidis."