Human rights violations increase in Turkish-occupied city in NE Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A human rights organization has documented a significant increase in cases of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance in the Turkey-occupied Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) region and its surrounding countryside in northeastern Syria, according to a report published on Monday.
The Hevdesti/Synergy Association for Victims recorded at least 217 cases of detention in 2024, including 10 women and a child. While 82 individuals were released, the fate of 129 detainees remains unknown, as they are still held in the prisons of Turkish-backed armed factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA).
In October 2019, Turkish forces, along with SNA factions invaded the cities of Sere Kaniye and Tel Abyad and their surrounding areas after a military operation dubbed ‘Peace Spring’. The offensive caused the displacement of approximately 300,000 of the region’s original inhabitants.
The report highlighted a 128 percent surge in arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances, rising from 95 cases in 2023 to 217 in 2024. The number of enforced disappearance cases alone increased by 84 percent, from 70 to 129 individuals.
Additionally, the number of detainees who endured torture before their release skyrocketed by 256 percent, jumping from 23 to 82 cases. This reflects a serious deterioration in the region’s human rights situation, the report noted.
The Hevdesti report also identified multiple security and military factions involved in these detentions. The Turkey-backed Military Police was responsible for at least 76 cases, followed by the Sultan Murad Brigade with 59 cases, and the Civil Police with 17 cases.