By Fattah Issa
KOBANI, Syria (North Press) – The residents of the city of Kobani, northern Syria, especially those directly affected by the Islamic State (ISIS), refuse the repatriation of these individuals from the areas of the Autonomous Administrations of North and East Syria (AANES) without a fair trial.
People of Kobani want these ISIS militants to face justice in Northeast Syria, given the tragedy and suffering they endured when ISIS attacked their city and its countryside.
On Sep.15, 2014, ISIS launched a major attack on Kobani to take over the city and its outskirts. ISIS took control of the entire countryside and a large area of the city. However, the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), with aerial support from the U.S., managed to push ISIS out of the city in January 2015.
Trial and compensation
Nabil Kajal, a resident of Kobani, says he recently learned that some countries are repatriating their ISIS-linked nationals without facing trial despite the atrocities they committed against people of Kobani.
Kajal lost his brother during the battles against ISIS. Additionally, his father, mother, and sister were killed in the village of Barkhbatan, 30 km south of Kobani when ISIS militants committed a massacre, killing 253 individuals and injuring some 273 others, mostly women, children and elderly.
Kajal, like other families of victims, strongly opposes the repatriation of these individuals without a fair trial. He believes they have caused immense harm and committed crimes against their loved ones, and therefore, they should be prosecuted and face severe punishment.
Kajal calls for a public trial and accountability of ISIS militants under the supervision of human rights organizations.
Furthermore, he demands compensation for those who lost their loved ones at the hands of ISIS militants and greatly suffered from their actions.
He cites the example of Germany providing compensation to Holocaust victims and suggests that similar compensation be made to Kurds who endured the practices of ISIS, either by the countries of origin of these ISIS militants or by the countries that sent and supported them to fight in Syria.
According to human rights reports, more than 10,000 ISIS militants surrendered to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) after capturing the town of Baghuz in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria, in 2019, with the support of the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.
The prisons and camps in AANES areas house more than 60,000 ISIS militants and family members from 58 Arab and foreign countries.
Some countries like France, Russia, and Sweden repatriated a few of their citizens through coordination with the AANES, but the lack of international support for trials in Northeast Syria has further complicated the situation.
Justice for victims
In the fight for justice, Kurdo Qati, a resident of Kobani whose brother was abducted by ISIS, calls for the prosecution of the group’s militants in an international court.
He says this court may help in disclosing the fate of those who went missing at the hands of the group and ensuring that justice is served for all parties involved.
In 2014, Qati’s brother with a group of teachers were abducted by ISIS on the Qaraqozaq Bridge in the east of Manbij, northern Syria. Their fate, however, remains unknown to this day.
Moreover, ISIS kidnapped more than 550 individuals from Kobani and its countryside between 2013 and 2014, as documented by human rights organizations.
Qati points out that each ISIS militant committed crimes against dozens of people in Northeast Syria, and it is irrational to allow these individuals to return to their home countries so easily without facing trial.
He believes some countries might not sentence them to severe penalties due to lenient laws that apply to crimes committed outside their territories. Consequently, these individuals could be released after a short period of detention, he adds.
According to Qati, countries like Turkey supported ISIS. He says there are even ISIS militants living freely in areas in Syria under the occupation of Turkey without anyone taking action against them.
He warns that these repatriated individuals might regroup again and pose a danger to the entire world. Therefore, he advocates for a solution that involves the prosecution of these militants in Northeast Syria, with the participation of judges from around the world.
For her part, Aisha Muhammad also cannot accept the idea of ISIS militants leaving the region with impunity. Muhammad’s son was killed by ISIS militants during their 2022 attempt to break free from the al-Sinaa prison in Hasakah, northeast Syria, when he worked as a guard there.
On Jan. 20, 2022, ISIS sleeper cells carried out a series of attacks on al-Sinaa prison to free thousands of the group’s militants.
The SDF fought the militants for 10 days before taking full control of the prison. The attack resulted in the killing of dozens of ISIS militants and detainees inside the prison, in addition to approximately 122 SDF fighters and prison guards.
She insists that ISIS members should be tried publicly and opposes their repatriation without facing trial and justice.
In June 2023, the AANES announced it would hold trials for foreign ISIS militants in line with international and local terrorism laws.
The AANES explained this decision was made because the international community failed to answer its repeated calls to ensure justice for the victims.
However, the international community did not provide support or assistance to hold these trials.