The Rojava Information Centre found that in 2021 Turkish-backed militias arrested at least 1,095 people in Afrin & the M4 Strip. At least 114 of those arrested were subjected to torture. Additionally, the RIC recorded 107 cases of gender-based violence.
The Rojava Information Centre (RIC) released a new report called "State of the Occupation: Infighting Reaches All Time High During the Fall as War Looms" about the arrests carried out in 2021 by Turkish-backed militias. According to the report at least 1,095 people in Afrin and the M4 Strip were arrested by the militias. At least 114 of those arrested were subjected to torture. Additionally, the RIC recorded 107 cases of gender-based violence.
During the months of October-December 2021, RIC's aggregate counts found that Turkey and the Turkish-backed Military Police were responsible for most crimes committed in Turkish-occupied areas.
In total, RIC finds that crime in most categories increased during October, when Turkey began making serious threats of a renewed invasion of NES. This follows a relative lull over the summer, when international attention forced Turkey to rein in the SNA militias.
The data RIC collects from the occupied territories is skewed towards the Afrin region, rather than Tel Abyad & Sere Kaniye, as data-gathering groups are not as present in the latter 2 cities. In total, crimes in Turkish-occupied NES are thus higher than reflected in the report.
The full report is available here
