On June 25, 2026, the Rights Monitor Syria platform monitored a video clip showing a group of armed militiamen in the city of Sere Kaniye/Ras al-Ayn in northeastern Syria. The footage contains explicit threats targeting the return of displaced Kurds to the city, as well as warnings directed at officials and security leaders should they attempt to facilitate the return of any Kurdish individual to the region.
Details of the Incident
In the video, one of the armed men is seen delivering a message in which he stated:
“Our message to the PKK… Anyone who comes to Ras al-Ayn before we return will not be allowed back… And a message to the leaders and officials… No one should bring a Kurdish person and say they are under my protection.”
His statement also included a direct threat to any official or security leader who might work to facilitate the return of any Kurdish person to the city of Sere Kaniye/Ras al-Ayn.
These threats coincide with circulating news and preparations regarding a potential return of displaced Kurds to the city of Sere Kaniye, nearly seven years after their displacement from the city.
Furthermore, these developments coincide with the return of the final convoys of displaced Kurds from the areas east of the Euphrates to the city of Afrin. This takes place within the framework of return operations that began in early 2026, following announced understandings between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian Interim Authority.
The city of Sere Kaniye/Ras al-Ayn has witnessed extensive demographic and security changes since Turkey launched Operation “Peace Spring” on October 9, 2019, with the participation of factions from the “Syrian National Army” (SNA). The operation concluded with these forces seizing control of the cities of Ras al-Ayn and Tal Abyad, resulting—according to reports—in the displacement of more than 200,000 civilians, the vast majority of whom are Kurds.
Available information indicates that the city is currently inhabited by armed militants along with their family members, most of whom belong to Turkish-aligned Syrian factions. Additionally, there is a presence of families associated with ISIS members, including individuals who were previously detained in the region by the International Coalition forces during earlier periods.
Public threats targeting a specific segment of the population on the basis of national/ethnic affiliation, coupled with warnings against facilitating their return to their areas of origin, represent alarming indicators of the persistent obstacles preventing displaced persons from exercising their right to a voluntary, safe, and dignified return. Furthermore, if accompanied by practical measures to block the return or intimidate returnees, these statements may constitute a violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under international human rights law, including the principle of non-discrimination and the right of displaced persons and refugees to return to their original places of residence safely and without coercion or threat.
