ŞÊRÎN ELÎ

Shehba- People of Afrin have not had a safe life since 2017 due to attacks on them. Many citizens have left the city particularly after March 18, 2018, and settled in safe areas. But many families had to live under occupation in Afrin. The citizens, who still live in Afrin, have been subjected to attacks and rights violations.

Many people of Afrin have left the city due to rights violations they faced. 30 people from an Arab family recently left Afrin and settled in Shahba. The family is originally from Shehba but they moved to Afrin to have a safe life when Afrin was under the control of the Autonomous Administration. The family members told NuJinha what they had faced in Afrin.

“We wanted to leave but we were afraid”

“We had everything in Afrin before the invasion. But armed groups’ members took everything from us. I wish we had left Afrin earlier. We wanted to leave Afrin but we were afraid of the armed groups’ members,” said 41-year-old Rexde İsmail Şêx, mother of two. Rexde İsmail Şêx’s husband had been detained and held in detention for three months in Afrin. “I am happy to get out of Afrin. Now, we have a safer life here.”

“Civilians are targeted”

28-year-old Dibê Bekir has five children and she is one of the citizens who left Afrin. “Life in Afrin is like hell and rights violations continue. There is no peace or comfort there,” said Dibê Bekir, who tried to leave Afrin and react to Shehba for 14 days. “Women in Afrin are afraid of going out. Civilians are abducted. Abducted people are tortured and killed. My husband’s brother was killed by an explosion of a landmine planted by the armed groups. Everyone is in danger there.”

“Don’t return to Afrin without an international guarantee”

Naîla Mehmûd, a member of the Human Rights Association in Afrin, commented on Turkey’s call on people to return to Afrin and said, “Don’t return to Afrin without an international guarantee because rights violations continue in Afrin.”