The Turkish state and the proxies under its control launched an invasion attack on Afrin on 20 January 2018. Afrin was occupied after the 58-day "Epochal Resistance" against these attacks. According to the information provided by the Afrin Human Rights Organization, thousands of human rights violations that constitute war crimes have occurred in the past 7 years.

ANF spoke with İbrahim Şêxo, director of the Human Rights Organization about these past 7 years.

‘War crimes are being committed in Afrin’

İbrahim Şêxo said that the Turkish state and the proxies under its control are carrying out inhumane practices in Afrin, and added: "The occupiers and their gangs are carrying out brutal practices against the people of Afrin every day. As if that were not enough, they also occupied Shehba, causing more than 100 thousand people from Afrin to migrate again. According to the 1948 Geneva Convention and international law, these practices against the people of Afrin are considered war crimes."

Şêxo said that the security of the people is in great danger and added: "Our people in Afrin are being massacred, kidnapped, subjected to different tortures every day and large amounts of ransom are demanded for the kidnapped people. Afrin has been transformed into a city that is dangerous in terms of life security. A special policy is being implemented in Afrin, especially towards the Kurdish people."

‘HTS should punish the occupiers’

Şêxo said that the Afrin Human Rights Organization has documented the inhumane practices in Afrin and forwarded their reports to the relevant institutions and organizations, requesting that an observer delegation be sent to the occupied regions. However, he added, these requests were rejected citing the Syrian regime as referent of the petitions. Şêxo drew attention to the fact that the regime has now been overthrown and said: "The justifications presented have now disappeared. The relevant institutions and organizations have already sat down with the new HTS administration. There is no longer any obstacle for the Turkish state and its gangs to leave the occupied regions.

The necessary human rights institutions and organizations should go to the region to prosecute criminals and urgently stop war crimes. In addition, the HTS administration should take urgent action, because the people of Afrin are also a part of Syria. The crimes committed against the people of Afrin should be heard in the courts of Syria, and the criminals should get the punishment they deserve. In addition, not only Afrin but many cities in Syria are under the occupation of the Turkish state. The new administration claims to be Syrian and to protect the Syrian people. Well then, it should try the criminals in Syrian courts."

Call to fulfill responsibilities

Şêxo issued a call: "The fate of the detained and unknown Afrin people should be disclosed, and those detained should be released immediately. What happened in Afrin is being repeated in Shehba today. Shehba became the second Afrin. The HTS administration and international forces should act according to their duties and responsibilities and ensure that the people return to their lands safely. The occupiers should be removed from our people’s lands."

Human rights violations and crimes committed in the 7 years following the occupation of Afrin:

More than 9,065 people, including 1,000 women, were kidnapped.

More than 683 people were killed, including 95 under torture.

101 women were killed, including 10 who allegedly committed suicide.

74 women were subjected to rape, harassment and violence.

More than 400 trees were cut down, 3/4 of the land was burned.

More than 30 colonial houses and camps were set up.

More than 134 historical sites and 28 religious places of pilgrimage and shrines were destroyed.

In 2024:

650 citizens, including 69 women, were kidnapped or arrested.

64 citizens, including 10 women, were killed. 10 citizens were injured in the attacks and 3 people committed suicide.

56 citizens, including one woman and two children, were subjected to torture.

2 people were harassed.

20 people were harmed by war debris.

Over 10,360 trees were cut down; 597 hectares of land were burned and over 6,000 fruit trees were burned.

15 colonial houses were set up. A school was opened by the JTS organization affiliated with South Korea.

Over 16 properties were sold.

The Emşat gang group seized property and assets in order to extort money from the people of the village of Kaxrê in Mabeta district.

Olive crops were stolen from the villages and countryside of Afrin during the olive season. In the village of Kurzelê, a crop of more than 3,500 olive trees was stolen, and in the village of Qibar, a crop of 700 olive trees was stolen.

Bribes of 20 to 30 dollars were taken from the people who went to collect the olive crop. In the village of Meydana in Reco district, 4,500 olive oil cans were seized. In Raco district, 900 olive oil cans were seized. In Gemruk village in Mabeta district, a bribe of 250 dollars was taken from the people. In 6 villages in Şiyê district, a bribe of 60 dollars was taken. In the village of Qertmitliq in Şiyê, a bribe of 70 dollars was taken.

December 2024:

145 people, including 16 women, were kidnapped in Afrin.

26 people were killed during the occupation of Shehba by the Turkish state. One person died of a heart attack during the evacuation to the safe zone, and two children froze to death.

16 people, including 3 women and 1 child, who were forced to migrate from Shehba due to the occupation were subjected to violence.

60 olive trees were cut down in the village of Şêxurzê in Bilbil district, in Shehba.

The fate of more than 300 people is unknown after Shehba was occupied on 2 December.