Areas in the northern countryside of Aleppo and Afrin are witnessing an alarming escalation in violations against Kurdish citizens. This includes documented cases of arbitrary detention and security summons of Kurdish youths, accompanied by degrading search practices and privacy violations, occurring as waves of displaced persons return to their areas despite official promises to guarantee a “safe and dignified return.”
Local sources reported that security forces under the authority of Ahmed al-Sharaa carried out a campaign targeting Kurdish citizens, involving the random arrest of several young men in villages across Afrin and various parts of the northern countryside without clear charges.
It was further documented that security apparatuses summoned Kurdish youths to security branches, where some were subjected to physical assault after their mobile phones were searched—a flagrant violation of personal privacy—in addition to the confiscation of digital content without legal justification.
In a related context, four Kurdish youths from the third group of returning displaced persons from Afrin were arrested and released hours later. During their detention, their phones were searched, and security forces confiscated the national identity cards of some returning families.
Testimonies indicated that members of the General Security Service stormed vehicles transporting returnees, searched their phones, and seized personal documents. Furthermore, returnees and the local citizens who received them were subjected to repeated acts of provocation.
These measures took place only hours after the arrival of the third convoy of displaced persons, sparking concern among residents who viewed these actions as an indicator of persistent security pressure, despite official statements affirming the provision of a safe environment for the return of the displaced.
The third convoy of displaced Kurdish residents from Afrin departed on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, from the city of Qamishlo, within the framework of an agreement between the Syrian Interim Government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
In this regard, Kurdish citizens expressed their resentment toward these practices, questioning the reasons for their continuation despite the existence of an official agreement, and appealed to the leadership of the Syrian Democratic Forces to intervene as a party to the agreement.
Raids and Arrests in the Village of Nayrabiyah, Rural Aleppo
In a separate incident, the Kurdish village of Nayrabiyah in the northern countryside of Aleppo witnessed a raid campaign conducted by security forces on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. Several homes of Kurdish citizens were stormed and subjected to arbitrary searches under the pretext of suspected dealings with the previous administration, despite the absence of any known political activity by the targeted residents.
Security forces under the authority of Ahmed al-Sharaa arrested Shahin Hakim Shahin and Imad Abdul Jawadولو (Walo); both remain under arbitrary detention as of the time of writing this report.
These incidents reflect a recurring pattern of violations against Kurdish citizens in rural Aleppo and Afrin, including arbitrary arrest, illegal searches, and violations of privacy. These actions raise serious concerns regarding the safety of returnees and the persistence of security pressures despite announced agreements.
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