People of Afrin in Shehba protest Turkish desecration of martyrs' cemetery

The people of Afrin in Shehba condemned the desecration of the martyrs’ cemetery in Afrin by the Turkish state and appealed to the international community to put pressure on Turkey and return the remains of the martyrs.

Thousands of Afrin residents took to the streets in Ehrasê, Shehba, to protest the Turkish state's destruction of the martyrs' cemetery. The people chanted "Afrin is our honour, defend Afrin".

The people carried photos of Leader Abdullah Öcalan and the fighters who fell as martyrs in the Epochal Resistance.

The people marched to the district cemetery and held a minute’s silence after which Hacer Meho delivered a speech on behalf of the Martyrs' Families Council. Meho said that the Turkish state deliberately distorted the truth by claiming that in fact the cemetery they desecrated was a mass grave. Hacer said that the Turkish claim was a lie as proved by the fact that the bodies were wrapped in shrouds and that they buried their martyrs behind Avrin Hospital.

Hacer said that the remains should be handed over to their families as soon as possible and condemned the silence of the international community about the crimes of the Turkish state.

Hesen Hesen, a member of the Martyrs' Families Council, noted that the silence of the international community actually encouraged the Turkish state. Stating that the Turkish state committed crimes against humanity in Afrin, Hesen said that the destruction of bodies and graves is unacceptable.