Reports indicate that an “Economic Committee” affiliated with the administration of the Afrin region in northern Syria has been formed with the aim of restoring properties to Kurdish citizens that were seized by armed factions and settlers loyal to Turkey and the interim authority in Syria (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham). However, it is reported that the efforts of this committee have failed due to its inability to take deterrent and binding measures against the property usurpers.
Reported Incidents and Actions:
Seizure of Agricultural Land and Prevention of Access:
Perpetrators: Elements of the “Al-Hamzat” Division (its leader is referred to as “Abu Kaser”).
Location: Villages in the Bulbul sub-district (such as Sharqiya, Ali Jaru, Sheikh Khurz, Awkan, Qurt Ushaghi) and villages in the Rajo sub-district.
Date/Duration: The situation is ongoing, with reports of tents being set up in olive groves since approximately one week before the report’s date.
Description: Elements of the division are setting up tents inside olive groves belonging to Kurdish citizens, aiming to prevent the original owners from accessing them and harvesting their crops. It is alleged that the division’s “Economic Office” has seized more than 10,000 olive trees in the Bulbul sub-district alone.
Actions of the Victims: Some landowners submitted their ownership documents and complaints to the Economic Committee and to elements of the Public Security. However, according to the report, they were unable to effectively recover their properties. Furthermore, elements of the Turkey-affiliated “Al-Hamzat” Division kidnapped the Kurdish citizen, Muhammad Muhammad Horo (37 years old), from the village of Qurt Ushaghi after he harvested the crop from some of his own olive trees. He was released on the same day after paying a financial ransom of $1,000 (one thousand US dollars).
The victim filed a complaint with the Public Security in the town of Bulbul and with the Economic Committee in the town of Sheran. However, the response from the entities that received the complaint was limited to registering it without taking any deterrent measures against the perpetrators. The victim was also warned by the Al-Hamzat Division not to return to his orchard until the end of the olive harvest season, threatening to kidnap him again and demand double the ransom in case of violation.
المقالة بالعربية: الاستيلاء على ممتلكات الأكراد والاختطاف وطلب الفدية في ناحية بلبل بمنطقة عفرين شمال سوريا
