In occupied Afrin in Rojava, kidnappings and ransom extortions continue to happen on a daily basis. On 27 March, Rustem Elî (35), Emîr Cemal (25), Xelîl Emîr (27) and Behzad Osman (50) from the village of Dargirê in Afrin-Mabeta were kidnapped by mercenaries of the Syrian National Army (SNA). They are said to be held in a prison in Marate.

Another four civilians named Abdîn Şêxmûs Mûsa (52), Rifaî Elî Horo (41), Xelîl Mihemed Seydo (60) and Îbrahîm Tacedîn Îsmaîl (21) were abducted from the villages of Badina and Kokanê.

Torture, extortion and extrajudicial executions

The fate of the people kidnapped is often unclear. Again and again, the abducted people are subjected to torture or are the target of extrajudicial executions. Often they are released for ransom, but sometimes they are handed over to Turkey. A typical case is that of Abdo Meimo (42). He was kidnapped by the Ahrar al-Sharqiya jihadist militia in December 2020 and then handed over to the so-called military police. A few days ago he was released for a ransom of $2,500.

Another example is Şêxmus Qasim Mistefa. He was kidnapped by jihadists from the pro-Turkish occupation militia “Faylaq al-Sham” at the end of February. On 6 March 2021, the family was asked to collect the 67-year-old's body from the “central prison”. The body is said to have been covered with traces of torture.

Since invasion 7,457 kidnappings - 3,500 "disappeared"

According to data from the Afrin human rights organization, at least 7,457 people have been kidnapped. The fate of more than 3,500 of them is unknown. Among the kidnapping victims are around a thousand women, 400 of whom have still "disappeared".