SNA arrests 604, cuts down 11,771 trees in Syria’s Afrin in 2023 – NGO
AFRIN, Syria (North Press) – A human rights organization documented violations and hundreds of cases of arrests by Turkey and its affiliated armed opposition factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), in Afrin region, northwestern Syria in 2023.
The Insight Organization, a non-governmental human rights organization based in Qamishli, northeast Syria, recorded in its annual report the arrest of 604 individuals by SNA factions, including 528 men, 54 women, 21 children, and an activist, in addition to the arrest of 96 individuals, including 92 men and four women by the Turkish forces.
The organization also recorded 39 cases of appropriation of civilian properties by the SNA factions in Afrin, and seizure of 2120 olive trees.
The report also documented dozens of cases of theft during the olive harvest season and the burning of 3605 tree, including 3450 olive trees.
The organization also recorded that SNA factions cut down 11,771 fruit and forest trees, including 8303 olive trees.
Insight’s annual report documented 104 cases where SNA factions imposed royalties, of which 51 were imposed by the Sultan Suleiman Shah Division (al-Amshat).
The types of royalties varied and included demanding money from forcibly displaced civilians who returned to their houses, as well as royalties on owners of olive trees, olive oil presses and shipping vehicles as well as royalties during the olive harvest season.
Turkey and its affiliated SNA factions occupied Afrin in March 18, 2018 after launching a military operation dubbed “Olive Branch.”
The operation resulted in the killing and injury of thousands, and the displacement of about 300,000 of the original Kurdish inhabitants. As for those who chose to remain in their homeland and not to flee, they have been subjected to widespread human rights violations.