News Center — Concerns over the situation of women and girls in the Afrin region continue, in light of successive incidents that raise serious questions about the extent of protection for women—from the detention of family members of wanted individuals, to accusations of attempted assault and kidnapping of a minor girl, amid demands for independent investigations and accountability of those responsible.

In the latest incident, local sources reported that the criminal police detained the girl Eva Barim from the city of Afrin, following a raid on her family home in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, as part of the pursuit of her wanted father, according to the sources, under an arrest warrant.

The sources added that the girl's family was informed that her release was conditional on her father surrendering himself to the authorities pursuing him, which has drawn rights-based criticism as, if confirmed, constituting the use of a family member as a means of pressure on a wanted person.

The incident raises questions about the legal basis for detaining the girl, whether there is a warrant or allegation against her personally, as well as the extent to which the procedure aligns with the principle of individual responsibility. The pursuit of a wanted person should not translate into punishment against family members who bear no legal responsibility.

A Minor Girl Subjected to Attempted Assault

In another incident, the Human Rights Organization in Afrin reported that a minor girl was subjected to an attempted assault and attempted kidnapping in the Jindires sub-district in the Afrin countryside, by a member of the General Security apparatus, named Khaled Ghassan Ibrahim.

According to the organization, the incident occurred on the evening of Wednesday, August 5, on Street 20 in central Jindires, when the girl, an 8th-grade student, went out to place a bag of waste in front of her family home.

The organization states that the suspect attacked her from behind and attempted to grab her, placing his hand over her mouth to prevent her from screaming. However, she resisted and managed to escape, before crying out for help and returning to her home.

According to the report, the girl's father, mother, and uncle rushed to the location after hearing her screams. The suspect was identified and pursued, while her father sent an urgent message through one of the security reporting groups requesting a patrol.

The organization says that residents managed to apprehend the suspect after a physical altercation, before the security patrol arrived and he was handed over to the competent authorities. The girl's family also filed a complaint with the military police, demanding an investigation into the incident.

Criticism, according to the organization, does not stop at the assault incident, as it speaks of attempts by the police station administration to contain the case and indirectly assign part of the responsibility to the girl for being out at night to dispose of waste.

Continued Threats

The organization also noted threats to hold accountable those who participated in apprehending the suspect before the official patrol arrived, considering that these measures should not become a means of diverting attention from the core issue or pressuring the girl's family.

The organization demanded the provision of psychological and legal support for the girl and protection from pressures, in addition to investigating the allegations against the suspect and opening an administrative investigation into the way local authorities handled the case.

These incidents bring back to the forefront concerns about the situation of women and girls in Afrin, especially when their cases intersect with security apparatuses or with pursuits targeting members of their families.