Reporters Without Borders has recently claimed that the Syrian Democratic Forces were responsible for the arrests of three journalists. The military force from northern and eastern Syria rejects the accusations.
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) strongly rejected the allegations by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on the arrest of three journalists in North-East Syria. As a military force, the SDF are not responsible for enforcing public law and thus do not have the authority to take legal action against private citizens, it said in a statement released Thursday.
The organization Reporters Without Borders published a report on its website Monday saying the SDF had "arrested" three reporters in recent weeks. RSF called for their "immediate release."
The SDF statement includes the following:
Reporters Without Borders said in a statement published on its website on March 8 that the Syrian Democratic Forces arrested three journalists in the areas of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. As a military force, the Syrian Democratic Forces is not responsible for public law enforcement and is not authorized to take legal action against individuals.
Legal action concerning individuals in NES falls under the responsibility of judicial and law enforcement institutions and Internal Security Forces (Asayish) of the Autonomous Administration. Our forces are neither responsible, associated or involved in the claims of arrests as mentioned by Reporters Without Borders.
