Afrin Human Rights Organization: Continued Seizure of Civilian Property and Imposition of Royalties in the Afrin Countryside Despite the Presence of Public Security

The Human Rights Organization Afrin – Syria stated that the Afrin region is witnessing ongoing operations of seizing the property of Kurdish civilians and imposing royalties by military groups and factions operating under what is known as the “Economic Committee.” These groups belong to certain factions, such as Al-Hamzat, Al-Amshat, and formerly Ahrar al-Sharqiya, which are currently integrated into the structure of the Public Security and the New Syrian Army, despite the official presence of the “Public Security Apparatus,” as well as the military and civil police in the region.

The statement explained that what it described as the “Economic Committee” targets, according to its sources, the lands, houses, and shops of indigenous Kurdish citizens, particularly expatriates or forcibly displaced persons, under the pretext of their absence, especially in the Rajo district of the Afrin countryside.

The statement added that the committee imposes financial sums ranging between $1,000 and $10,000 on residents and returnees as a condition for reclaiming their homes or ensuring that their olive groves and presses are not vandalized, noting that the royalty rates sometimes reach up to 50% of the harvest’s value.

According to the statement, the committee also oversees the collection of high percentages of olive harvests by force of arms and threats of arrest. It pointed out that recently, in the Rajo district, the committee has been demarcating lands and olive groves intended for seizure under various pretexts, including the absence of their owners or classifying them as state property—despite the olive trees being over 40 years old—in preparation for investing in them and selling their seasonal yield to third parties, even if relatives of the owners are present in the area.

Regarding the role of official institutions, the statement clarified that the effectiveness of security and legal agencies in the region appears weak due to structural reasons. It noted the inability of the Public Security and local judicial institutions to hold the leaders of the involved groups accountable, a result of the direct military influence wielded by those factions.

The statement further added that official responses are limited to repeated promises of restoring rights, while executive measures remain, according to the statement, slow and unnoticeable on the ground. It also emphasized that the prevailing state of impunity prevents civilians from reclaiming their rights due to the fear of assault, ransom, kidnapping, and extortion.

Furthermore, the statement noted that the continuation of these violations reflects negatively on the social and economic reality in the region. It stressed that despite the return of thousands of displaced families to their homes in Afrin, hundreds of families still fear returning due to the lack of safe housing and ongoing financial extortion.

In conclusion, the Human Rights Organization Afrin – Syria emphasized that the continued absence of law leads to the deepening of social tension, weakens trust in local institutions, and threatens civil peace and social stability in the region.

Note: This text is translated from the original Arabic version… Read the Arabic version: Click here