'More than a thousand women have been kidnapped in occupied Afrin’
The Afrin-Syria Human Rights Organization has announced that at least 99 women have been killed and more than a thousand women have been kidnapped in Afrin since the city was occupied by the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions.
News Center- The members of the Afrin-Syria Human Rights Organization have issued a statement in the Serdem camp on the crimes committed against women in the occupied Afrin.
Heyhan Elî read the statement on behalf of the organization. The statement pointed out that women have been subjected to many crimes, including kidnapping and torture, since the city was occupied.
‘The Turkish state keeps committing crimes’
“Although the Turkish state claims that they aim to ensure democracy and equality in the city, the women of Afrin have been subjected to many crimes against humanity. The Turkish state has committed many crimes such as killing, kidnapping, torturing and sexually assaulting women in Afrin. Such crimes have not been committed at any period in history, including the period of the Mongol Empire and the Tatars. The crimes committed by the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions in Afrin are war crimes. Despite all international conventions, the Turkish state keeps committing crimes against children, women and civilians,” Heyhan Elî said.
‘At least 99 women have been killed’
According to the organization, the crimes committed against women in Afrin are as follows:
“* More than thousand women have been kidnapped and the fate of many is still unknown.
*At least 99 women have been killed, nine of them died under suspicious circumstances.
*At least 74 women have been subjected to sexual violence and rape.”
‘The Turkish state should withdraw from the occupied areas’
The statement called on the international community to take steps in order to end the crimes against humanity and violations in Afrin. “As women’s rights activists, we call on all human rights organizations and women’s organizations to take immediate steps in order to end the crimes committed against civilians in the occupied areas of North and East Syria. The perpetrators of crimes, especially against women and children, should not go unpunished. The Turkish state should withdraw from the occupied areas so that the displaced people can return to their homes. Financial and psychological support should be provided to victims.”