Afrin Forum criticises Damascus government for its silence

The second session of the forum on human rights violations in occupied Afrin, criticised  the Damascus government, which remained silent for the crimes committed in Afrin.

The second forum on human rights violations in occupied Afrin is taking place in Qamishlo.

Speakers highlighted the Turkish state's brutal crimes against women and children in Afrin and criticism was made of the Damascus government, which kept silence against these crimes.

Mecdolîn Hesen, a lawyer working in the field of international and diplomatic law and a member of the Women's Advisory Council gave a seminar.

Noting that the mercenaries committed brutal crimes in Afrin, which was occupied by the Turkish state in March 2018, Hesen reminded that hundreds of people were kidnapped by mercenaries and that these crimes are recorded. She added that holding the criminals to account in Afrin has become an international issue.

Stating that all rights organizations in Syria should protect Afrin, Hesen said: “Those living in Afrin are Syrian citizens. All legal organizations in the world should bring the responsible of these crimes into account. The Turkish state is the first responsible for the crimes committed in Afrin. However, the Damascus government does not fulfil its responsibility by remaining silent against the crimes committed here. The Damascus administration is afraid of the democratic administration model created by the people of Afrin.”

Drawing attention to the crimes committed against women, Hesen noted that women's institutions should send documents regarding the crimes committed in Afrin to international courts.

Other speakers also spoke about crimes against women in Afrin. Lawyer Ehmed Receb Şehate Mehmud, a lecturer at the Alexandria Law Faculty and a member of the Egyptian-Arab Lawyers Association, drew attention to the crimes committed by the Turkish state against women. Saying that the UN Security Council should take action against the crimes committed, Mehmud added that an international court like that established for Yugoslavia should be set up for the crimes committed in Afrin.