Syrian women in Qamishli condemn appointment of sanctioned militant
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Women’s Council of the Future Syria Party in the city of Qamishli, northeastern Syria, held a protest on Wednesday denouncing the Syrian transitional government’s appointment of sanctioned Ahmad al-Hayes, known as “Abu Hatem Shaqra,” as the commander of a military division in eastern Syria.
In an official statement, the Women’s Council described the appointment as a provocative and unacceptable move.
On Monday, Syria’s Ministry of Defense named al-Hayes as the commander of Division 86, assigned to operate in the governorates of Deir ez-Zor, Hasakah, and Raqqa.
Al-Hayes is listed on the U.S. sanctions list due to his involvement in the assassination of Kurdish politician Hevrin Khalaf, numerous human rights violations, and his links to the Islamic State (ISIS).
Walida Hassan, spokesperson for the Women’s Council, told North Press, that Abu Hatem Shaqra was appointed despite his documented involvement in terrorist crimes, being sanctioned by the U.S., and his direct role in the assassination of Hevrin Khalaf, the Secretary-General of the Future Syria Party.
She expressed their “deep outrage at the Damascus government’s appointment of a man whose hands are stained with the blood of Syrians, particularly the blood of women, including the martyr of peace and jasmine, Hevrin Khalaf.”
Hassan also called on the international community, Syrian national forces, and human rights organizations to take a clear stance against this decision.
Arzu Temmo, one of the protest participants, added, “This is the same individual responsible for the brutal killing of political leader Hevrin Khalaf, a figure known and respected across all of Syria. She was executed in the field, in a clear war crime.”
“For this reason, we — as Syrian women — firmly and categorically reject the appointment of this murderer to any position of authority in these regions.”
The Council’s statement further stressed that the appointment represents a flagrant violation of justice and human dignity and stands in stark opposition to the Syrian people’s aspirations to build a lawful, inclusive state.