Fresh insights into the killing of Ahmad Khaled Mamo in Afrin, northwestern Syria, point to potential co-conspirators, as reported by the North Press on Sunday.
The Kurdish community in Afrin, north-western Syria, was shaken by the brutal murder of Ahmad Khaled Mamo on 13 March, a local Kurdish boy, by a settler named Yamen Ahmad Ibrahim, sparking outrage and protests. According to the Human Rights Organisation in Afrin, Ibrahim, who had moved to Afrin six years ago, “brutally” stabbed Mamo multiple times before disposing of his body in a well.
This heinous act occurred in the context of escalating tensions and violence in the region, particularly against Kurdish residents, under the control of Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) factions.
A relative of Mamo, wishing to stay anonymous for safety reasons, disclosed to North Press that Ibrahim lured the boy under the pretence of offering motorcycle parts, only to murder him in a premeditated act of violence. “The murder was not spontaneous but planned,” the relative stated, indicating that multiple individuals might have been involved. This claim was further supported by local sources who suggested that six others, affiliated with councils established by Turkey in Afrin, assisted in the crime.
The incident has reignited concerns over the safety of Kurds in Afrin, with Mamo’s mother publicly expressing her despair and calling for justice outside the Turkish-controlled legal system. “We are being brutally killed because we are Kurds,” she lamented in a viral social media video.
Ismael al-Muhammad, a lawyer and human rights activist, emphasised that such crimes against Kurds in Afrin blatantly violate international laws and the Geneva Conventions. He accused Turkish-backed forces of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, pointing to Turkey’s role in facilitating these atrocities.
No official response has been made by Turkey regarding the incident, despite its significant influence in Afrin. This silence and the ongoing settlement of SNA militants’ families in the region have raised fears of further displacements and violence against the Kurdish population.
This tragic event underscores the perilous situation for Kurds in Afrin and the urgent need for international attention to the violations of human rights and international law in the area.
