The Islamic State attacked Kobanê on 15 September 2014. After capturing 350 surrounding villages, the Islamists supported by the Turkish state advanced into the city. The People's and Women's Defense Units YPG and YPJ put up the greatest resistance in history for months and were able to announce the liberation of Kobanê on 26 January 2015.

This defeat was the beginning of the downfall for ISIS. Yet, the Islamist terrorist militia continued to carry out brutal attacks in the region. The massacre on 25 June 2015 in Kobanê was one of the bloodiest attacks on civilians in Syria. Ten days after the YPG and YPJ liberated Girê Spî (Tall Abyad) and advanced on Raqqa, the self-proclaimed "capital of the caliphate," ISIS jihadists disguised in YPG uniforms invaded Kobanê from two sides. About sixty Islamists came from Turkey with heavy artillery, and the closed border crossing was opened especially for them. Another group advanced from Jarablus. The attack began at dawn with a truck bomb detonating. Islamists then went from house to house in Kobanê and in the village of Berxbotan, killing the elderly, men, women, children and babies. 252 civilians and two dozen fighters were killed.

ISIS crimes to be dealt with legally

On 10 June this year, the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria (AANES) announced legal proceedings against detained ISIS members. This was preceded by years of futile efforts for an international court of justice. More than ten thousand ISIS members from sixty countries of origin are detained in the region. It is not yet clear when the trials will begin. The procedures are associated with great legal, safety and material costs. The AANES is left alone with this.

An eyewitness reports: “People’s pain gave them pleasure”

Naime Fetah Aqil is the mother of Metin Kobanê, who died in the massacre eight years ago. She supports and wants to take part in the trials announced by AANES against her son's killers. "As the mother of a dead man, I want to be there when the Islamists are brought to justice. I want accountability," said Aqil. For the people in Northern and Eastern Syria, it is incomprehensible that the countries of origin of these terrorists do not support the international tribunal demanded by AANES.

Aqil said: "ISIS committed many massacres in Kobanê, but 25 June was a particularly black day. I think back on it with sadness and great pain. They slaughtered everyone they met; children, women, the elderly. They wore YPG uniforms and knocked on front doors to brutally murder civilians. Some doors were kicked in, women were attacked, even babies were killed. The old protected the young, but all were massacred. I witnessed the brutal action. People's pain gave them pleasure. They killed the children first to see the mothers suffer. Some people still lay in bed and lost their lives without realizing what was happening. They beheaded people and shredded their bodies. They tried all methods of torture on the innocent populace."

Naime Fetah Aqil survived the ISIS massacre and lost her son.

"When it comes to the Kurdish people, the world remains silent"

Aqil demanded that not only ISIS members but also their supporters be charged. She said: "If such a massacre had taken place in another country, hell would have broken out. The perpetrators would have received just punishment. However, when it comes to the Kurdish people, the world remains silent. Those who remained silent then and remain silent today are proving their partnership with the perpetrators."

“International institutions must act”

Speaking about the crimes of the more than ten thousand Islamists detained in Northern and Eastern Syria and the announced trials, Aqil said: "There are many orphans whose parents were killed by ISIS. With the murdered elderly, a large part of our historical memory has disappeared. Very young people were beheaded, their eyes pulled out, their bodies torn to pieces. They were cruel and infinitely brutal massacres. This horror cannot be forgotten. The Autonomous Administration's decision is correct and we support it. International institutions and organizations must act to ensure that perpetrators are charged and convicted for their crimes. The people who witnessed the massacres must judge ISIS, an organization known for mass murder, rape, executions, torture, looting and theft. I saw it with my own eyes. ISIS has killed, raped, looted and buried people alive. Despite these atrocities, the Kurdish people have held on to their humanity. The Autonomous Administration of the North and East represents the peoples of the region and has held ISIS members in detention camps and prisons for many years. They must finally be charged and answer to the families of the dead. Their crimes must be dealt with and their supporters named once again."