HESNA MIHEMED

Shahba- Hundreds of people have been displaced from Afrin to Shahba Canton since Afrin Canton was occupied by the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions on March 18, 2018.

52-year-old F.M. is one of the displaced people of Afrin. She has lived in an IDPs camp in Shahba Canton with her son since they left Afrin. She has received no information about her daughter, who was arrested in Afrin by Turkish-backed factions five years ago.

‘We had to live in the occupation’

F.M. told NuJINHA that the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions have carried out inhuman practices in Afrin since they occupied the city.

“When Afrin was occupied, we could not escape due to our limited means. We had to live in the occupation of the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions. Every day, we were subjected to inhuman practices. My daughter was arrested by the Turkish forces and Turkish-backed factions. My daughter has been held captive by them for five years. I was arrested along with my son twice. We were held in prison and my son was tortured. I did not have money to hire a lawyer to get my daughter out of prison.”

‘They have looted houses, stolen everything’

Her sons left Afrin due to the worsening economic condition and unemployment in the region. “Since our house was damaged in the earthquake, we moved to Afrin city center. However, there were no job opportunities in Afrin. The Turkish forces and Turkish-backed factions offer all kinds of opportunities to Arabs; they find houses for them and give them money. Kurdish people face many difficulties in finding houses for rent. In Afrin, the members of factions have looted the houses of civilians. They have stolen the belongings of civilians and sold them. Afrin is looted. People held in prison are subjected to torture.”

‘Women are targeted and tortured’

Speaking about the crimes against women in Afrin, she said:

“There is no life in Afrin anymore. Women are tortured and killed every day. A woman named Ufe Şeyh was killed by the members of the factions. Her house was burned down. There are hundreds of killed and tortured women. In Afrin, women are targeted and tortured.”