Kurdish women in detention in Syria

The fascist attitude of the Syrian Government towards Kurds has not stopped since the shootings during Newroz at al-Raqqa in March 2010. There are raids in people’s homes in the early hours of the morning that sow the seeds of fear and terror, and the campaign of arbitrary arrests without explanation has been intensified.

Kurdish women did not escape. They are feeling the psychological stress of these practices by intelligence security forces, which fly in the face of human rights.  Many women were arrested before these events at al-Raqqa, and they remain in prison with an unknown fate.

Instead of trying to tackle corrupting problems like prostitution, drugs and rape, the Syrian authorities are arresting women who work actively for the good of society.

At the beginning of March, two girls Berivan Ramzi Rashid, and Dijla Noori Sheikho were arrested after their homes were raided  in the middle of the night. They were taken away to an unknown destination, and their whereabouts remains unknown.

Active members of  the Sittar Federation Women’s organisation who have been arrested, and whose whereabouts are unknown include Fatima Ahmed Hawool, who suffers from chronic chest infection which is likely to deteriorate under the conditions of detention: http://supportkurds.org/news/fatima-ahmed-hawool-female-kurdish-activist-is-arrested-in-syria/ and Hediya Eli Yusef http://supportkurds.org/news/activist-from-sittar-womens-federation-arrested-in-syria , and Menal Ibrahim who was arrested on 15 October 2009 in Aleppo http://supportkurds.org/reports/yasa-report-october-2009 .

Fekret Murad was arrested two months ago after  a raid on her home in Sheikh Maqsud area of Aleppo city  and escorted to an unknown destination.

The security services have repeatedly summoned Aisha Effendi, Sadiqa Osman, and Sara Ali from Kobani, to be investigated in Aleppo.

We in the Sittar Federation Women’s organisation and the Co-ordination of Western Kurdistan Confederation deplore and condemn these practices, and call on the Syrian regime to release all detainees and to stop these arbitrary practices against the Kurdish people, particularly women. We call on all women in Western Kurdistan to engage with the campaign for peaceful democratic change, and to stop this abuse. We call on all women to stand together with a loud voice

Sittar Federation Women’s organisation, and

Co-ordination of Western Kurdistan Confederation – KJRK

21 June 2010