Increasing pressure by the authorities on Kurdish women activists in Syria
Syrian Committee for Human Rights – MAD reports that the third individual military judge in Aleppo heard the case no. 5705 of 2010 on 30 December 2010 and sentenced Munira Hammo to three months imprisonment for the crime of acts intended or resulting in inciting racism and conflict between communities and the various elements of the nation in accordance with Article 307 of the Syrian Penal Code.
Munira Hammo had been detained already for four months which was taken into account.
Previous reports:
http://supportkurds.org/news/court-results-of-kurds-on-trial-in-syria
http://supportkurds.org/reports/an-update-of-releases-and-arrests-of-kurds-in-syria-march-2010
http://supportkurds.org/news/two-more-political-arrests-in-syria
…
Syrian Committee for Human Rights – MAD in Afrin, Aleppo report the arrest on 18 December 2010 of Kurdish activist Qadrat Horo, born 1978 in Afrin (see photo).
30 December 2010
Eleventh Kurdish conscript to die in 2010, list of names included
Kurdish Organization for Defending Human Rights and Public Freedoms in Syria – DAD and Media Institute of Western Kurdistan Society report that the family of Kurdish conscript Yusuf Farhan Qasim received his body on 22 December 2010 from the military hospital in Harasta. Yusuf Farhan Qasim, born 1988 is from Derbassiyeh, in Hasakah province and he served in one of the military units (air defence) of the Syrian army in the region of Rancaus, Damascus. They were notified of his death the day before. He has been buried in his home town.
According to the story from the military authorities,Yusuf Farhan Qasim was killed by a landmine, but there are other stories in circulation by witnesses, about the circumstances of his death that are inconsistent with the official version of the incident. It was noted that his body had a large hole in the waist and pelvis on the left side, and his feet were unharmed and even the military boots that he was wearing were intact. Read more
Kurdish human rights activist arrested in Qamishli
Kurdish Organization for Defending Human Rights and Public Freedoms in Syria – DAD, Human Rights Organization in Syria – MAF , Syrian Committee for Human Rights – MAD and Kurdish Committee for Human Rights in Syria – al-Rased report the arrest of Walid Mahmoud Youssef, member of the Board of Trustees of the Kurdish Organization for Defending Human Rights and Public Freedoms in Syria – DAD, in Qamishli on 23 December 2010. He is a pharmacist and was taken from a doctor’s clinic on the prextext of an inquiry about some personal matters. Since that time there has been no information of his whereabouts or the reasons for his arrest, and he has been isolated from the outside world. Walid Mahmoud Youssef , born 1971, is a graduate of the Faculty of Pharmacy in the former Soviet Union. He lives in Qamishli with his wife and three children. Read more
Twenty Kurds in Syria await court decision since 2005
It is reported by Syrian Committee for Human Rights – MAD that the second individual military judge in Aleppo heard case no. 6151 of 2010 on 23 December 2010. This was the trial of twenty Kurds charged with acts intended to incite racial strife among different elements of the nation, in accordance with Article 307 of the Syrian Penal Code.
The men and women on trial are:
- Ahmed Mardenli
- Azad Akash
- Ahmad Armenazi
- Noureddine Rashad
- Mervat Bilal
- Jihan Hussein
- Kamilia Bilal
- Ibrahim Anbar
- Ahmed Jaafar
- Hassan Ahmed
- Adnan Othman
- Nader KhalilAbdul Rahman Othman
- Amar Ahmed
- Debo Jassim
- Ali Ahmed
- Hassan Yassin
- Mohammed Khalo
- Abdulrahman Habash
- Abdel-Salam Ali Read more
Prison conditions for Kurds in Sednaya Prison
Syrian Committee for Human Rights – MAD has received complaints about abuses of detainees held in Sednaya Prison in Damascus by the prison administration, including the following:
- preventing the detainee speaking with his family in his own language during the interview, especially Kurdish detainees;
- each detainee is closely monitored by an officer of the prison during the interview with his family for the whole meeting;
- the meeting between the detainee and his family is very short as it lasts only up to fifteen minutes;
- the meeting between the detainee and his family is held through iron bars and they are separated by a distance of half a meter, which stops the prisoner having any physical contact such as hugs with their mother or other members of the family;
- the lack of opportunity to relax in the open air and see the sun;
- lack of health care for detainees;
- the lack hygiene especially in the washing areas;
- the lack of nutritious and healthy food;
- permission is not given for families to meet with the detainee when they attend at the prison. Many travel a long way to see their sons, and they often have to wait for twenty-four hours before being allowed in;
- overcrowding of cells so that each person has insufficient space;
- the lack of adequate drinking water for the detainees. Read more
Tenth mysterious death of a Kurdish conscript in 2010
It has been reported by Media Institute of Western Kurdistan Society that the family of Kurdish conscript, Osman Khalil Ali from Kobani received his body on 21 December 2010. He had been serving as a guard of university student accommodation in al-Raqqa during his military service in the Syrian army.
Osman Khalil Ali, was twenty-one years old. The official version of events was that he died when he was playing with manipulation of arms and live ammunition. It was later discovered that he had been fatally wounded by four bullets in the head. Information has been received, that he had been abused by an officer of the rank of brigadier general a few days before before the incident. Read more
Court results of Kurds on trial in Syria
According to Syrian Committee for Human Rights – MAD and Kurdish Organization for Defending Human Rights and Public Freedoms in Syria – DAD, the third individual military judge in Aleppo heard case number 6132 of 2010 on 16 December 2010 and gave the following sentences:
• Mustafa Mohammad Ali Khalaf, born 1968
• Mohamed Abdi, born 1965
have been imprisoned for three months after being found guilty of belonging to a political organization that is prohibited, according to Article 288 of the Assembly Penal Code. Read more
Three Kurdish men arrested for organising poetry festival in Syria
According to Kurdish Organization for Defending Human Rights and Public Freedoms in Syria – DAD, Human Rights Organization in Syria – MAF and Kurdish Committee for Human Rights in Syria – al-Rased, two Kurdish poets and the owner of a house have been arrested against the background of organising a poetry festival. They were brought before the individual military judge in Qamishli on 21 December 2010:
- Omar Abdi Ismail (poet).
- Abdul Samad Hussain Mahmoud (poet).
- Ahmed Fattah Ismail (homeowner). Read more
Waleda Sheikhmous Boti case adjourned
According to Syrian Committee for Human Rights – MAD, Kurdish Organization for Defending Human Rights and Public Freedoms in Syria – DAD, and Kurdish Committee for Human Rights in Syria – al-Rased, on 20 December 2010 the individual military judge in Qamishli postponed the trial of Waleda Sheikhmous Boti, born 1967, from Hassaka and a stateless Kurdish woman. She has been in detention for two months and she was released to return for the hearing on 26 December 2010 when the defence would put her case.
She was detained under customary law after being summoned by political security in Hassakeh, charged with belonging to the women’s banned political organization – Sittar Federation Women’s organisation.
Kurdish Women are Fighting Back Against Rape in Turkey
For years the rape of Kurdish women living in Turkey both in custody and during village raids has been a scandal. Many of the victims of sexual torture dare not speak of their experiences, because of the dishonor associated with rape and sexual violation in traditional communities.
Jake R. Hess
As RAWA wrote way back in 2002, “Given the social and legal penalties for speaking out, it is a reasonable assumption that the documented cases of rape and sexual torture of Kurdish women represent the tip of the iceberg. Even so, they reveal that sexual torture is routinely used against women in custody, and frequently involves their children and other family members.”
The Democratic Free Women’s Movement (DOKH), a loose amalgamation of mostly Kurdish women’s organisations and activists, launched a year-long campaign under the banner “Let’s create a free and democratic society and overcome the culture of rape.” Read more
