Afrin (Efrîn) Human Rights Organisation has appealed to the United Nations and international humanitarian and legal rights organisations to exercise their influence to stop Turkish state-backed and affiliated armed groups from attacking Tall Rifat (Til Rifat) in Shahba (Şehba) canton in North East Syria.
It also demanded that Turkish state-backed and affiliated armed groups’ forces withdraw from the areas under their control and stop perpetrating crimes against the peoples of the region. Afrin Human Rights Organisation called upon relevant international organisations to fulfil their responsibilities regarding these concerns.
It noted that four civilians had lost their lives and nine others were injured due to the Turkish state-backed and affiliated armed groups’ assault against Tall Rifat on 23 January. Seededîn El-Qeys was the fourth person to lose his life: the hospital where he was being treated was unable to save him. He died on 24 January.
Afrin Human Rights Organisation stated that the violations of rights against people who migrated from Afrin to Shahba and the crimes committed by Turkish state-backed and affiliated armed groups were continuing. Apart from the deaths and injuries caused by the attack on Tall Rifat on January 23, it made reference to a previous incident in which ten people, including eight children, were murdered during Turkish state-backed and affiliated armed groups’ attacks on 2 December 2019.
The organisation stated that massacres were being carried out before the eyes of the world and yet no one was practically reacting against Turkish state-backed and affiliated armed groups’ crimes that were in violation of international law and the Geneva Conventions. It stated: “According to international law and agreements, those crimes are war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocidal crimes”.
Afrin Human Rights Organisation appealed to the United Nations and international humanitarian and legal rights organisations to fulfil their responsibilities.
