Systematic violations against Kurds in Syria’s Afrin during Newroz celebrations

As Kurds worldwide celebrated Newroz on March 20/21, marking freedom and renewal, the event took on a particularly significant meaning in northern and eastern Syria. Various Syrian communities joined in the celebrations, emphasizing national unity. However, in Afrin, Newroz was marred by widespread human rights violations committed by Turkish intelligence and their affiliated militant factions, targeting Kurdish civilians.

According to human rights activist Ibrahim Sheikho, Turkish-backed forces and military police carried out numerous violations, aiming to suppress Kurdish celebrations.

In Afrin’s Maaratah Street, fighters from the “Ahrar al-Sharqiya” faction, under the command of Abu Yusuf al-Sharqiya, sent groups of settlers—many of them young men and teenagers—to disrupt the festivities. They threw stones at vehicles displaying the Kurdistan flag, tore down Kurdish banners, and hurled racial slurs. Several civilians were injured as a result.

At the Kokana checkpoint in Maabatli district, a joint force of Turkish intelligence, military police, and political security forces arrested three Kurdish youths for carrying the Kurdish flag while celebrating Newroz.

In Ibble village (Bulbul district), local residents gathered to light the Newroz fire, a traditional part of the celebration. However, the village commander from the “Sultan Murad Brigade” intervened, ordering them to stop and provoking tensions among the crowd.

A Kurdish man was shot by unknown armed men while they attempted to seize his Kurdish flag. Another was arrested by Turkish intelligence for selling Kurdish flags ahead of the Newroz festivities. Several others were detained on allegations of firing celebratory gunshots.

On the night of March 20, a Kurdish resident, Hassan Sido (also known as “Abu Shiyar”), from Afrin’s Ashrafiyeh neighborhood, was shot by unidentified gunmen in Mazout Street while returning from Newroz celebrations. Witnesses reported that two individuals on a motorbike attempted to snatch a Kurdish flag from his companion. When Hassan intervened, one of the attackers loaded his weapon and shot him in the thigh. He was transported to Afrin’s specialized hospital for treatment.

On March 23, political security forces in Rajo district arrested a Kurdish shop owner, Malek, who ran the “Alloush” gift and accessories store. His crime was selling Kurdish flags. While in custody, he was physically assaulted and insulted before being released after paying a ransom. Notably, settler-run shops selling similar items faced no legal repercussions.

On March 22, military police raided several homes in Korzilah village (Sherawa district) and arrested four young men—Ahmad Shamo, Khalil Kalo, Hamouda Najjar, and Sami Shamo—on charges of unlicensed firearm use and lighting the Newroz fire. They were later released on March 23.

Turkish-backed factions “Al-Amshat” and “Al-Hamzat” launched a mass arrest campaign across Afrin, targeting dozens of Kurds for raising Kurdish flags and celebrating Newroz.

Kurdish civilians were subjected to stone-throwing, an intimidation tactic reminiscent of Baathist-era oppression against Kurdish Newroz celebrations. These attacks were accompanied by sectarian and racist slogans.

As residents gathered for Newroz festivities, opportunistic looting took place. On March 20, thieves stole a water pump belonging to Kurdish farmer Mustafa Rashid from a well in the village of Halobiya (Sharan district).

The ongoing violations by Turkish-backed militias in Afrin reflect a broader campaign of forced displacement, demographic engineering, and systematic repression against the indigenous Kurdish population. From arbitrary arrests to land seizures and cultural erasure, the region remains under continuous assault, with little intervention from the international community.