The Human rights organization in Afrin: According to the Human rights organization in Afrin sources that the leader of the Hamzat militia affiliated with the “Free Syrian National Army” who controls the village of Marate of Afrin city center, on Friday, 06/25/2021, informed the indigenous Kurdish residents of a decision to collect taxes in the villages under his control for the properties of the forcibly displaced to each of the (Kurdistan Region – Aleppo City – Shahba area), as the tax was set at a financial amount ranging between 4-10 US dollars for each olive tree in return for allowing agents to harvest the crop. Noting that during the harvest season he refused the previous legal agencies, including those issued by the local council of Afrin, and imposed a financial tax of 5 US dollars for each tree, in addition to the theft and looting that he carried out with his members, noting his claim that the new decision was issued by the Turkish government, the “Turkish governor,” and the necessity of commitment and payment during the current period, and whoever refuses will confiscate his property for the benefit of the members of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces headed by Nasr Hariri and the leaders of the Free Syrian National Army, which raises more doubts about the decision to set a specific period not exceeding next month to collect the tax.
The sources added that as for the shepherd settlers, in the village of Kafarom of Shara town, on Friday, June 25, 2021, graze livestock in the olive fields and vineyards owned by the Kurdish indigenous people without any moral or legal considerations. Despite the issuance of a decision to prevent grazing in the fields by the agricultural chambers in the local councils, and fined the violators for each head of livestock, a sum of 2000 Syrian pounds, here, we would like to point out that the decision does not include the shepherd settlers, although it was not mentioned in the items, by virtue of the complaints submitted against them by the people before the relevant security and judicial authorities, without any results, rather, some of the shepherd settlers brandished weapons and assaulted the Kurdish citizens, under the pretext of ownership of the land belonging to the Turkish government.
They also added that the settlers, with the complicity of the armed militia elements, set fire to the forested forest surrounding the village of Aranda of Shiye town, on Thursday morning, 24/06/2021, in order to turn it into firewood, as the affected area exceeded by more than hectares, but the intervention of the civil defense team prevented the expansion of the fires area.
On the other hand, members of the armed militias “factions”, including the military and civilian police who are present at the checkpoints at the entrances to the city of Afrin, on Sunday, 20/06/2021, checked the personal cards “identities” of Kurdish citizens only, and directed offensive words to them and they were insulted, and a number of them were arrested for the purpose of material extortion and ransom collection in exchange for allowing them to pass through the checkpoints and claiming the security necessities to preserve Turkish national security.
26/06/2021
