SYRIAN KURDISTAN

Stop war against the Kurds: Stand for peace, justice and freedom; solidarity with the Kurdish people

By Kurdistan National Congress

Published date 21 January, 2026

The Transitional Government in Damascus, dominated by members of the former al-Qaida affiliate Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), is once again using violence to consolidate control over all of Syria. This has initiated a new war of choice that threatens to return the country to the darkest days of its civil war and poses a serious threat to international stability. The campaign is being coordinated by the jihadist regime in Damascus in conjunction with Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Güler and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The Turkish state is playing an active role in the conflict, employing fighter jets, drones, and reconnaissance aircraft, and has reportedly deployed its own soldiers to fight alongside jihadist forces.

By contrast, since their fight against IS, the Kurds in Syria have consistently expressed openness to dialogue with the Syrian government. They have never sought the division or secession of Syria, instead advocating for inclusion within a decentralised Syrian state.

The clear objective of the war of annihilation against the Kurds is to hand Syria over from the Baath dictatorship to the HTS dictatorship following the international recognition of Al Jolani (jihadist nom de guerre of Ahmed al Sharaa) as a statesman. Al Jolani’s vision for the new Syria does not include democracy or peace between nations. Women will continue to be treated as slaves. In opposition to this dictatorial concept of power, the Kurds have established a political and administrative self-government over the last 15 years, enabling women, nations and religions to express themselves freely. Therefore, there should be no place for the Kurds in Syria under Al Jolani. Genocide is once again being imposed on the Kurds to this end. Once again, the states in the international coalition against IS have demonstrated their hypocrisy. When their own interests are at stake, they not only forget their values, they also disregard international law.

Background and introduction

Since 6 January, large-scale attacks have been carried out against Kurdish communities in Syria by forces of the Syrian Transitional Government (STG), in collaboration with jihadist groups and Turkish-backed militias. Beginning in Aleppo, these attacks have amounted to attempts at ethnic cleansing, resulting in the massacre of Kurdish civilians and the forced displacement of thousands.

Over the past year, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) has undertaken multiple rounds of negotiations with the Syrian Transitional Government, seeking a democratic solution and the establishment of a decentralised system of governance that reflects Syria’s ethnic and religious diversity.

By 4 January, negotiations had reached an advanced stage, with the involved actors reportedly close to a tentative agreement. However, before any public announcement could be made, the process was abruptly terminated by the Syrian Foreign Minister, who maintains close ties with Turkey. On 6 January, following a meeting in Paris facilitated by the United States, Syria and Israel announced that they had reached an agreement. That same afternoon, STG forces — including Turkish-backed militias that have since been incorporated into the Syrian army—launched attacks on Kurdish neighbourhoods in Aleppo.

In the days that followed, despite the declaration of multiple ceasefires, STG forces and their allies continued to advance towards North and Eastern Syria (Rojava), creating an existential threat to Kurds and other communities in the region, as well as to the system of autonomous, democratic self-governance established there. These attacks endanger the achievements of the Rojava Revolution, including struggles for women’s liberation, peaceful coexistence among peoples, and democratic self-governance. The silence of the international coalition and other state and international actors amounts to complicity in the violence being carried out by al-Sharaa’s forces on the ground.

Thousands of Kurds, especially Kurdish women and youth, have responded to the call for general mobilisation, streaming into Rojava to join the resistance or organising in cities across the region and across the world. This report provides an overview of recent developments, documents human rights violations and potential war crimes, international reactions and mobilisations, and concludes with key demands. As it is still a developing situation, more information is likely to come in the next days.

Download the full report here.

(Statements) Defend the Rojava revolution against the Syrian regime’s genocidal attacks

By Revolutionary Left Current & Socialist Alliance

Published date 20 January, 2026

Statements by the Revolutionary Left Party (Syria) and Socialist Alliance (Australia) opposing the Syrian regime’s genocidal attacks on the Rojava revolution.

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Revolutionary Left Party (Syria): In defense of Rojava — For our freedom and yours

January 20

In light of the comprehensive genocidal onslaught against our Kurdish people, led by the foreign-dependent Thermidorian authority — the descendant of tyranny, ISIS, and Al-Qaeda, and the guardian of terrorism — which does not hesitate to open prison doors for ISIS fighters and recycle them as filthy tools in its war against the peoples; Syria enters a pivotal stage today that accepts neither ambiguity, neutrality, nor half-measures. 

The call for general mobilization issued by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on January 18, 2026, is not a passing event, but rather an expression of a decisive historical moment: A battle between the last bastions of democracy and liberation in Syria, and the project of fascism, obscurantism, and reactionary regression. It is a struggle between progress and reaction, between good and evil, between existence or annihilation. 

We, in the Revolutionary Left Party in Syria, declare clearly and unequivocally: This is not the battle of the Kurds alone; it is the battle of all advocates of freedom, all leftist forces in Syria and the entire world, and everyone who believes that homelands are not built with prisons and massacres, but through social justice, equality, and the right of peoples to self-determination. 

Experience has proven that silence in moments of genocide is complicity, that neutrality during a conflict between the executioner and the victim is a bias toward the executioner, and that those who do not stand today with the popular resistance will be crushed tomorrow under the feet of the fascist machine. The attack on the Kurdish people, the Autonomous Administration, and its democratic-liberatory model is an attack on the possibility of collective salvation in Syria. It is an attempt to stifle any liberatory, pluralistic, and socialist horizon outside the logic of the oppressive central authority and outside the hegemony of imperialism and its local proxies. 

Accordingly, the Revolutionary Left Party in Syria announces:

• Responding to the call for general mobilization without hesitation or equivocation. 
• Placing all its political, media, and organizational capabilities, and all forms of its struggle support, at the service of the Kurdish people's steadfastness and the protection of the Autonomous Administration. 
• Standing unconditionally and without narrow calculations alongside the Kurdish popular resistance, as an integral part of the Syrian revolutionary resistance against tyranny, occupation, and reaction.

We say it clearly: From Kobani to Qamishli, from Rojava to every spot of Syrian land, the battle is one, the enemy is one, and the fate is one. 

Together until victory. Glory to the popular resistance. Shame to fascism and obscurantism. Victory to the struggling peoples. 

• Long live the internationalist brotherhood of peoples! Long live the revolutionary socialist struggle! 
• Down with the counter-revolutionary authority in Damascus! 
• All power and wealth to the people! 

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Socialist Alliance (Australia): Defend the Rojava revolution!

January 20

The Socialist Alliance stands in full solidarity with the Kurdish-led Rojava Revolution which is now under attack from the Syrian regime, with the backing of the United States and the European Union (EU).

The Kurds liberated North and East Syria from the former Bashar al-Assad dictatorship and then from the terror of the Islamic State (ISIS).

Now, it is fighting off genocidal attacks from the Western-backed Syrian regime of President Ahmed al-Sharaa — a former notorious Al Qaeda commander — and the Turkish armed forces and allied mercenary militias.

This is a battle for the survival of one of the few successful popular revolutions in the 21st century. This revolution sought to make women’s empowerment central to its political practice, as well as having a commitment to multi-ethnic and multi-religious inclusion in its grassroots democracy.

This war rapidly escalated from a campaign of atrocities and ethnic cleansing carried out against Kurds and Yezidi in Aleppo, Syria, earlier this year, even while Al-Sharaa was hosting senior EU and US delegations.

The US and the EU, which have whitewashed al-Sharaa’s international image and supplied his regime with funds for its armed forces, then pressured the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria/Rojava to withdraw from Aleppo and several other towns, in return for ceasefire agreements.

However, these have been broken over and over again by the al-Sharaa regime and the US, which brokered the agreements.

The world owes a massive moral debt to the Rojava freedom fighters, who have sacrificed tens of thousands of lives in the fight to defeat ISIS, empower women and promote religious and multi-ethnic unity.

Australia must end its silence on this war. It must call on the US and the EU to end their collusion with the Al-Sharaa regime against Rojava, demand an end to its war crimes and support action to bring the perpetrators to account.

The Socialist Alliance calls on the Australian government to send urgently-needed funds to the Heyva Sor a Kurdistanê/Kurdish Red Crescent, which is helping the thousands who are being wounded and displaced by this genocidal war.

We also call on all progressive and democratic people to join the global solidarity campaign to defend Rojava.

Kurdish left statements: Defend Rojava!

By Kurdistan Democratic Communities Union, Democratic Union Party & Kongra Star Coordination

Published date 20 January, 2026

Statements by Kurdistan Democratic Communities Union, Democratic Union Party and Kongra Star Coordination denouncing the Damascus transitional administration’s attacks on Rojava and North and East Syria.

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Kurdistan Democratic Communities Union: The spirit of resistance of Kobanê must rise!

January 18

Following the attack on Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo, attacks have also been launched on Rojava and North and East Syria. These attacks are being carried out by HTS, gangs and mercenaries affiliated with Turkey, and with the direct support of the Turkish state. This attack is a conspiracy against all Kurds and the people of the region, embodied in Rojava and North and East Syria. The international forces with their military and political presence in the region have also become partners in this conspiracy through their policies and attitudes.

Kurdish people’s leader, Abdullah Öcalan, had conveyed a statement, underlining that confidence-building measures should be taken by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria to reduce the tensions in Syria. He has also called on the Damascus transitional administration to avoid further conflict. The Turkish state is aware of these calls. While the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and the SDF were preparing to take important steps, attacks were carried out on Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo. Autonomous Administration officials stated that while a positive outcome had been achieved in the meetings held on January 4 under the supervision of US officials, Shaibani, who is under Turkish influence, intervened in this meeting and prevented a joint statement from being given. Thus, reconciliation and agreement were sabotaged, and the Kurdish neighborhoods of Aleppo were attacked. It shows that these attacks were planned in advance and that the talks were used as a stalling tactic.

The Turkish state has been actively involved in planning and executing this war. From the outset, HTS leader Jolani has constantly threatened the Kurds with a reactionary and monist mindset, refusing to respond to the reconciliation efforts of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and demanding submission to his oppressive rule. These attacks aim to dismantle the Autonomous Administration established by the Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs, and other peoples based on the concept of the ‘Democratic Nation.’ The goal is to create a fascist system in Syria based on one single nation and on one single faith. This mentality marks an attack on the co-existence of peoples and faiths in the Middle East, including Syria. Thus, the concept of the Democratic Nation that would bring peace and stability to the Middle East is being undermined.

These attacks have once again demonstrated that the monist, capitalist international powers are willing to trample on any value for their own interests. The Kurds and the people of North and East Syria have given more than 10,000 martyrs and tens of thousands of wounded in the fight against ISIS. ISIS launched a war against all of humanity; the Kurds and the peoples of North and East Syria fought at the forefront against ISIS to protect humanity. International powers have taken a stance of standing with the Kurds who resisted ISIS during this process. They saw their own interests in this, but after ISIS was defeated, they did not provide the necessary support for the struggle for a free and democratic life of the Kurds and the people of North and East Syria. After making Jolani the ruler of Damascus, they became supporters of the ISIS-minded HTS and turned down the peoples of Rojava and North and East Syria, who have given over 10,000 martyrs and tens of thousands of wounded in the fight against ISIS. In doing so, they hypocritically trampled on all moral, ethical, and moral values. They are sacrificing the people once again for their own interests.

While the Kurds, with their mentality of the Democratic Nation, have created an exemplary model for the Middle East together with Arabs, Syriacs, and other peoples, the HTS administration is trying to destroy this oasis of democracy in the Middle East by attacking Alawites, Druze, and Kurds. The international powers have revealed what kind of Middle East they want through their support for HTS. Thus, democracy and women’s rights are merely a mask on their faces.

These attacks are not only against Rojava and North and East Syria but also a conspiracy against all Kurds. It is not desired for Kurds to have any will or power anywhere. Kurdish-hostile and genocidal forces, in particular, are targeting the existence of the Kurds by attacking their organization and gains everywhere. What is being done to the Kurds in Syria is a continuation of this general understanding and policy. From this perspective, all Kurds should see these attacks as directed against themselves, and national unity and stance should be demonstrated, especially today. Our people in Rojava, in the north and the south of Kurdistan, and abroad have risen up against these attacks. This uprising must be further intensified. Kurds must view this war as a war of survival and honor and engage in this struggle with all their might. In this regard, our people in all parts of Kurdistan must respond to the call to arms by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.

HTS’s attacks are a conspiracy against Syria’s future. HTS is pursuing a policy that will lead to the fragmentation of Syria, not its unity. While the Autonomous Administration has created Kurdish-Arab unity, HTS wants to create Kurdish-Arab hostility. This is proof that HTS is waging a war under the influence of certain external powers. It is clear that HTS cannot achieve Syria’s democratic unity with these policies, and therefore this regime has no future.

The Arab people and all democratic forces must also resist any attack aimed at preventing Kurds and Arabs from creating a new Syria as siblings. The most valuable achievement, Kurdish-Arab siblinghood, must be protected. Our Arab people must take a stance against provocations. HTS also shows hostility to the Arab people with these attacks. While the Arab people are living freely and democratically in peace in North and East Syria, HTS and its supporters now want to subject them to a repressive, authoritarian regime. In this regard, the Arab people must also stand against these attacks and protect the free and democratic life they have created.

The peoples of North and East Syria have so far resisted all kinds of attacks together. To protect their free and democratic life, repelling this attack is also essential. In this regard, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria has called for mobilization, urging all people, especially young people, to fight alongside the SDF. Just as people of all ages took up arms against ISIS, such an attitude must be demonstrated now. Cities and villages can only be protected against the ISIS mentality if the entire population becomes a force of self-defense. This is how existence and freedom can be protected. This is the only way to repay the debt owed to ten thousand martyrs.

The attacks that began in Aleppo and spread throughout North and East Syria have shown that the people can only fight for their existence and freedom by relying on their own strength. Indeed, the Kurds have waged a historic struggle for existence and freedom for decades, relying on their own strength. All Kurds in Syria have also fought to this day, relying on their own strength, and have secured all their gains in this way. In this sense, the Kurds and all the peoples of North and East Syria must trust in their own strength in the face of these attacks. If they trust their own strength and show the will to resist, they will demonstrate an exemplary resistance to the world, as they have done throughout their history, and they will win.

These attacks also form an attack and sabotage against the ‘Peace and Democratic Society’ process that is underway in Turkey under the initiative of Kurdish people’s leader, Abdullah Öcalan. Those who do not want Kurdish-Turkish siblinghood, siblinghood among peoples, forces that want to keep Turkey in a state of war, as in the last century, have brought HTS into this attack. While the Kurds in Turkey are called our siblings, a hostile attitude has been adopted towards the Kurds in Syria. The statements of some government officials and the way the press reports on the war in Syria are expressions of this. While Kurdish people’s leader, Abdullah Öcalan, works with patience and great effort for peace and stability in Turkey and the Middle East, this attack on the Kurds and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria is an attack on peace and stability in the Middle East. It is clear that this will cause great damage to Turkey and negatively affect Turkey’s future stance in this war. From this perspective, we call on all democratic circles and Turkish patriots who want to see this process develop and Turkey achieve peace and a democratic society to fight against approaches that seek to sabotage this process. Recognizing that Turkey’s common future can only be secured through democratic unity, we must oppose the war in Syria and take part in the struggle for a Turkey and Middle East based on the siblinghood of peoples.

The Kurdish people and their international friends who have risen up against this conspiracy against the Kurds must stand firm, and they must stand with the forces resisting in Rojava and North and East Syria. The spirit of resistance that emerged against ISIS in Şengal [Sinjar] and Kobanê must rise up today and repel this new ISIS attack together with all peoples and international friends in the Middle East and around the world. As the Kurdish Freedom Movement, we emphasize that we stand with those fighting for freedom and democracy, and we salute our resisting people.

A widespread special war is being waged against the Autonomous Administration and the resistance fighters in Syria. Half of the war has been turned into a special war. The press and social media are being used for this purpose in particular. Our people and our international friends should only obtain information from free and democratic media. The stance and resistance against the attack should also be demonstrated in this way.

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Democratic Union Party (Syria): An open letter to Western governments

January 20

While Western governments — foremost among them the United States — raise the banners of defending human rights and combating terrorism, the Kurdish people in northern and eastern Syria face a perilous political and security reality that threatens to undo all the gains achieved in the global war against ISIS.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) formed the backbone of the war against the ISIS terrorist organization, fighting fierce and valiant battles on behalf of the entire international community, sacrificing more than 20,000 martyrs in the fight to eliminate the most dangerous terrorist organization the modern world has known.

In this context, and with the direct coordination and support of the international coalition, prisons and detention centers were established in the areas under the Autonomous Administration, designated to hold thousands of ISIS leaders and members, in a move aimed at protecting regional and international security and preventing the resurgence of terrorism.

However, recent developments in the Syrian landscape are causing grave concern among political and human rights circles. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), officially known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), was not a single, isolated entity. Rather, it stemmed from al-Qaeda and comprised several terrorist factions, including the former al-Nusra Front, which later changed its name to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

Ironically, due to the convergence of regional and international interests, HTS leader Abu Muhammad al-Julani (Ahmed al-Sharaa) became a key player in the Syrian conflict, even reaching the position of president of Syria, at a time when Western countries considered the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) a crucial ally in the war on terror.

Today, northern and eastern Syria are witnessing direct attacks on the SDF, the takeover of prisons holding ISIS members, the release of hundreds of extremists, and widespread assaults on Kurdish civilians. These attacks include summary killings and grave violations against women, civilians, and fighters, reminiscent of the most horrific chapters of terrorism that the world claimed to have overcome.

The silence of Western governments, or their mere issuance of general statements, falls short of political and moral responsibility and is inconsistent with their legal obligations to combat terrorism and protect partners who have sacrificed their lives in defense of global security.

Ignoring these developments poses a threat not only to the Kurds but also opens the door to the resurgence of ISIS and its networks, undermining years of international military and intelligence efforts.

What is happening today is a true test of the credibility of Western governments: either they stand with their allies who have fought terrorism, or they allow extremism to be recycled under new names, at the expense of a people who have given their most precious possessions in defense of the world.

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Kongra Star Coordination: Stand with Kobanî: Stop the attacks on Rojava

January 19

Under the leadership of the Turkish state and with the involvement of international actors, a coordinated attack is being carried out against the fundamental values of our society. What is unfolding has the characteristics of a systematic and targeted campaign, which can be understood as an international genocide conspiracy. Armed extremist groups, including the so-called Islamic State, are effectively being reactivated, creating the conditions for new mass atrocities.

At this moment, a large-scale assault targets the population of Kobanî, a city that has become an international symbol of resistance against ISIS. Forces emerging from Daesh, under the name HTS, are conducting severe attacks on Kobanî. The liberation and defense of this city were achieved through the unity of the Kurdish population and international solidarity. Today, these values of unity and shared responsibility must be defended once again.

These attacks are not only directed against the Kurdish population but also constitute an attempt at ethnic and religious cleansing against Alawite, Druze, and Christian communities. The democratic system of Rojava represents hope for all Syrian communities. If this model is destroyed, all communities in the country face the threat of large-scale violence and atrocities.

Wherever these forces advance, they leave behind grave human rights violations, including looting, targeted killings, forced displacement, beheadings, the drowning of children, abduction of women, and systematic enslavement. Today, the same patterns from the early years of the Syrian conflict are being repeated under different pretexts, apparently to prevent international scrutiny. Yet this reality can no longer be hidden. The role of international actors in enabling extremist violence is becoming increasingly visible, while civilians pay the highest price.

Despite the scale of the attacks, the people’s will remains strong. Communities trust in their collective strength and resilience. To prevent a repetition of the crimes committed by ISIS in 2013–2014, urgent and united action by women, youth, and all segments of society is required.

This is a moment that demands unity, responsibility, and collective mobilization. The defense of the values for which so many have sacrificed their lives cannot be postponed. We are convinced that these brutal and illegitimate attacks can be repelled through coordinated and principled resistance.

We call on all peoples, Kurdish women, and women worldwide to transcend borders and stand in solidarity with the people of Rojava. In this historic moment, defending Rojava is defending humanity itself.

(Iraq ) Kurdistan rights body sues cleric over controversial take on female Kurdish fighters

12-01-2026
Rudaw



ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Kurdistan Region human rights organization said on Monday that it is suing an Erbil-based religious cleric over remarks deemed disrespectful toward women, following comments he made in connection with the killing of a Kurdish female fighter in Syria last week.

A video widely circulated on social media showed Damascus-affiliated factions throwing the body of a female member of the Kurdish Internal Security Forces (Asayish) off a building during clashes in Aleppo’s Kurdish-majority neighborhoods, while hurling insults.

Asked about the incident in a recent interview with local media, controversial Kurdish cleric Mazhar Khorasani said that “in Islam, women must sit at their homes” and are meant “to pour tea for their husbands.”

The Independent Human Rights Commission of the Kurdistan Region (IHRCKR), which works closely with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), said in a statement that it is “pursuing the case [of Khorasani] through public prosecution and holding the aforementioned accountable before the law.”

Khorasani’s remarks “show great disrespect toward women and their role and position,” the IHRCKR said, adding that he “portrayed women as servants whose duty is only at home.”

The commission further added that the cleric’s statements were “completely against the foundations of religions” and urged the KRG’s endowment and religious affairs ministry, as well as the scholars’ union, to take action against those who disrespect others “under the name of religion.”

In a similar vein, Sleman Sindi, director of media relations at the IHRCKR, told Rudaw on Monday that Khorasani’s remarks violate Article 14 of the 2005 Iraqi Constitution, which stipulates that “all Iraqis are equal before the law without discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, origin, color, religion, sect, belief or opinion, or economic or social status.”

In a Monday interview with Rudaw, Khorsani said, “I apologize to the great and merciful God if I have had shortcomings toward my country, my [Kurdish] nation, or my religion.”

“To easily give up our cherished and valuable women to the enemy, to be held captive, killed... this made me upset,” he said, adding that, in his view, “women are not [meant] for war.”

The backlash against Khorasani followed deadly clashes that erupted on Tuesday in Aleppo’s Kurdish-majority Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsood neighborhoods after the Syrian Arab Army and its affiliated armed factions seized the areas from the Kurdish Asayish.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Sunday that at least 82 people were killed, including 43 civilians, 38 government-aligned fighters, and at least one Asayish member. An estimated 150,000 residents have fled Aleppo’s Kurdish quarters, according to the Erbil-based Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF).

An internationally mediated ceasefire came into effect on Sunday. Despite this, several videos emerged online showing armed militants affiliated with Damascus rounding up, arresting, and verbally abusing dozens of Kurdish civilians. Social media users have also shared images and videos of relatives they say have gone missing amid the violence.

Khorasani told Rudaw, “I support the people of [northeast Syria] Rojava - they are all our family.”

“I did not insult that woman,” the cleric said, referring to the slain female fighter whose body was gruesomely thrown from a building, and extended his condolences “to her family and the families of all the victims.”


Ranja Jamal and Shahyan Tahseen contributed to this report from Erbil.

'Darkest period yet': Once a regional leader, Iraq is now failing to protect its women

A viral video of a mob attacking a teenage girl in Basra lays bare the devastating decline of women's rights in Iraq over 30 turbulent years

Hadani Ditmars
13 January, 2026
The New Arab

Iraqi women woke up to the new year with horrific images of a mob attack against a teenage girl in Basra, whose only 'crime' was to walk alone along the riverside Corniche on New Year's Eve without a hijab.

The news outraged Iraqis and resulted in the arrest of 17 assailants who grabbed, groped, kicked, punched and beat the girl as someone filmed the entire sequence on their phone. The video, which the girl's mother has pleaded to be removed from social media as her daughter is now suicidal, went viral and outraged Iraqi women.

Veteran Iraqi journalist and activist Nermeen Al Mufti wrote about the incident in Basra, saying, "Let's all demand that the maximum punishment be imposed on these barbaric scoundrels! We demand that the existing laws on harassment, the articles contained in the Iraqi Penal Law (396, 403 and 404), are no longer sufficient to punish such morally degraded criminals."

While there are many harassment incidents in Iraq, she wrote, "This particular incident can serve as a model for a real social and psychological study — for a deep search for solutions that may be a cure for the Iraqi society, which is in decline. Let the cries of this hurt girl be an alarm bell to initiate such studies, and for the legislators to introduce a new law on harassment."

The social decline Nermeen refers to began, she says, during the 12-year embargo.

Even during the UN sanctions, she wrote, men who harassed women were kept in psychiatric hospitals for three months, to make sure they were not a threat to women.

Sadly, none of the 17 men charged in the Basra attack have been sentenced yet, and all remain at large, technically free to harass other women. The governor of Basra has dismissed the incident as "nothing to make a fuss about" and said, "this kind of thing could have happened anywhere in Iraq," denying that it was particularly a Basran issue.

Unfortunately, he was correct. Sadly, this was not the first male mob attack against a young woman in Iraq, with high-profile cases occurring recently in Sulaymaniyah and elsewhere in the country.

When the country protected its women

This latest mob attack is a grim reminder of the decline in the status of Iraqi women, who, before the UN embargo and 2003 invasion, enjoyed one of the highest statuses in the Arab world, on a par with Tunisia.

They once benefited from state-subsidised day-care, education and health care, including reproductive health, at a time when many American women could not even access birth control.

In the early 80s, nearly half the doctors and half the civil service were women, and Iraq was the first country in the Arab world to produce a woman judge, an ambassador, and a government minister.

I remember reporting from Iraq in the 90's, when in spite of social collapse brought on by sanctions, Baghdad was still a safe place to walk alone and un harassed with or without hijab — much better than say, Cairo.

I recall an ominous turning point in 2002, as the regime lost control and the "mama Stata" was replaced by extremist Islam and criminal gangs, when I was interviewing people in a Baghdad market.

Even with my Ministry of Information-appointed "minder" on hand, I was grabbed by a man who disappeared into the crowd. A few minutes later, things turned ugly as the crowd threw rotten fruit at my minder, and we managed to escape in a taxi just in time.

Fast forward two decades, and now, according to the UN index, more than a million Iraqi women and girls are at risk of gender based violence, including honour killing.

According to UN Women, only about half of the legal frameworks that promote, enforce and monitor gender equality under the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) with a focus on violence against women, are in place.

Even getting accurate statistics is daunting, as state bodies dedicated to women's rights that existed before 2003 have never been fully replicated, so most are underestimates. Still, they are damning evidence of the decline in Iraqi women's status.

As of December 2024, 27.9% of women aged 20–24 years old were married or in a union before age 18. Women and girls aged 10+ spend 24.1% of their time on unpaid care and domestic work, compared with 4.2% for men.

Women of reproductive age (15-49 years) often face barriers with respect to their sexual and reproductive health and rights: despite progress, in 2018, only 53.8% of women had their need for family planning satisfied with modern methods.

According to UN Women, only 41% of indicators needed to monitor the SDGs from a gender perspective were available, with gaps in key areas, in particular: violence against women and key labour market indicators, such as the gender pay gap.

In addition, many areas — such as gender and poverty, physical and sexual harassment, women's access to assets (including land), and gender and the environment — "lack comparable methodologies for regular monitoring. Closing these gender data gaps is essential for achieving gender-related SDG commitments in Iraq."

While the American invaders facilitated the rewriting of the Iraqi constitution along sectarian religious lines, weakening the old civil code that had championed divorce, property and child custody rights, legislation passed last January under Prime Minister Sudani's watch effectively legalised child marriage.

The amendments give Islamic courts increased authority over family matters, including marriage, divorce and inheritance. Activists argue that this undermines Iraq's 1959 Personal Status Law, which unified family law and established safeguards for women.

Iraqi law currently sets 18 as the minimum age of marriage in most cases. The changes passed let clerics rule according to their interpretation of Islamic law, which some interpret to allow marriage of girls in their early teens, or as young as nine, under the Jaafari school of Islamic law, followed by many Shia religious authorities in Iraq.

Proponents of the changes, which were advocated by primarily conservative Shia lawmakers, defend them as a means to align the law with Islamic principles and reduce "Western influence" on Iraqi culture. The "Coalition 188" – a group of women activists and lawyers – continues to advocate for the repeal of this law.

Sudani's Iraq

According to activist Awatef Rasheed, who works in Baghdad as a consultant on gender issues, a de facto ban on using the term "gender" has undermined efforts to advance the cause of Iraqi women

In August 2023, the Iraqi Communications and Media Commission (CMC) issued a directive banning all media outlets and internet providers from using the word "gender". The commission also ordered that the term "homosexuality" be replaced with "sexual deviance".

This was a regulatory directive from the media commission rather than a law passed by the Iraqi parliament at that specific time. However, this directive was part of a broader anti-LGBTQ+ campaign that preceded the passage of an anti-LGBTQ+ law in April 2024, which explicitly criminalised same-sex relations and transgender expression.

"Within the last four years," Awatef told The New Arab, "Since Sudani came to power, gender equality in the larger context of human rights and freedoms has declined. First, he outlawed the term gender and then, even though there is still a huge need for the UN, he asked the UN to leave Iraq."

Now she says, anyone working for gender equality is harassed by the government, including those who worked for UN Women.

While things are difficult for Iraqi women everywhere, Awatef, who advises the Iraqi government on IDPs, says that internally displaced women who face impoverishment after losing their government subsidies and are still often unable to return to their homes for security reasons, are doubly impacted by gender issues.

While some government proponents proudly point to the 25% quota system for women in parliament as a sign of progress, Awatef says it's a "fake system."

"There is no space for liberal women who speak a feminist language. They are effectively voiceless, brought in by heads of political parties who ask them to toe the line. They are totally submissive to the conservative religious parties.”

While Western countries are more concerned with stability and security in Iraq, Awatef feels they have abandoned Iraqi women, just like George W Bush, who paid lip service to feminism in the build-up to an invasion that made life miserable for women.

"There needs to be a firmer statement from the international community," she told The New Arab.

"They need to tell the Iraqi government to give voice to women who seek gender equality and freedom."

The 'darkest period'

According to Iraqi academic Ruba Ali Al-Hassani, SJD Candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School and Research Consultant at King's College London, domestic violence is on the rise throughout Iraq, as are online verbal attacks, character assassination and death threats.

The trend, she says, can be partially attributed to "the militarisation of society since 2003."

Moreover, she says, the latest election saw "a much lower turnout rate for women throughout Iraq, which points to greater female distrust in the political system than in previous election cycles." This is not surprising, she notes, after the Personal Status Law amendments were passed, "as they heavily disadvantage women's and girls' rights."

Women in Iraq, says Ruba, are "gradually being ousted from many public, recreational spaces, where sexual harassment has been gradually growing. Where women and girls expect to feel safest — in their homes — we are witnessing a rise in domestic abuse."

Now, she told The New Arab, "It is the darkest period of time for women in Iraq's history."

As I reflect on Ruba's dire pronouncement, I recall my last trip to Iraq in May. En route to Babylon one morning to visit the temple of Ninmakh, the Sumerian mother goddess, currently being restored to its former glory by the World Monument Fund, I met her contemporary counterpart.

My driver had brought along his mother, a formidable woman only a few years older than me. She turned out to be a treasure. After a week spent dodging gropers and mukhabarat, I relished the opportunity to speak with a lady who, like so many of her generation, had witnessed Iraq's shift from secular to sectarian.

She immediately opened up to me about her past — she studied English at university in the 80s and once ran a tourism agency — and current realities.

"Now," she told me, "the men are taking advantage of the situation, marrying several wives and abandoning them and their children."

Even though her husband was killed by Saddam's forces in 1991, his remains were found in a mass grave near the same potholed highway we were driving on, "things were better before for women," she said.

As we approached the domain of Ninmakh, she embraced me, wished me luck on my journey and smiled, saying, "Don't worry. You are strong – like an Iraqi woman!" And with that, I went to pay my respects to the ancient mother goddess, as my new friend continued down an uncertain highway.

Hadani Ditmars is the author of Dancing in the No Fly Zone and has been writing from and about the MENA since 1992. Her next book, Between Two Rivers, is a travelogue of ancient sites and modern culture in Iraq. www.hadaniditmars.com

Rojava reaffirms 'partnership' with Washington amid backing from US senators

Rudaw



ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria (Rojava) on Thursday reaffirmed its partnership with Washington, expressing gratitude to a veteran statesman who condemned the “egregious acts” committed by Damascus forces against the Kurdish community in Aleppo, and to another prominent senator who warned of a “stronger reaction” if Syrian forces advance further against “our Kurdish allies.”

In a statement on X, Elham Ahmed, a senior official from the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) in Rojava, expressed gratitude to Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch and influential US Senator Lindsey Graham “for your critical support."

“Your clear messages give us hope that our partnership and sacrifices will not be forgotten,” the co-chair of foreign relations for the DAANES said, adding, “We deeply appreciate your steadfast support for your [Kurdish] allies in our darkest hours.”

The top Rojava official further noted that "the interim Syrian government is demanding we dismantle our defense structures while simultaneously launching brutal and cruel attacks against Kurdish people in Aleppo," affirming, "We remain committed to dialogue, but Syria’s transition cannot come at the expense of Kurdish people and other minorities who fought alongside [the United States of America against [the Islamic State] ISIS."

Ahmed’s remarks came in response to a statement from Risch, who on Tuesday condemned the desecration of a Kurdish female fighter by Damascus-affiliated militants, who executed her, threw her lifeless body from a building, and hurled insults.

The desecration occurred amid a military operation by the Syrian Arab Army and affiliated armed groups to expel the Kurdish Internal Security Forces (Asayish) from Aleppo's Kurdish-majority neighborhoods last week, killing around 100 people and displacing roughly 150,000. The Asayish had been securing the two quarters for nearly 15 years.

Risch said he was “gravely concerned about the conduct of armed forces in Aleppo, Syria, over the past week,” and urged the Syrian interim government to “hold accountable those who committed these egregious acts.”
“After years of war, the role of Syria’s new government and armed forces is to safeguard the inherent rights of its citizens, not to infringe upon them,” Risch emphasized.

For his part, influential US Senator Graham on Wednesday reshared Risch’s post, stating, “I fully endorse and support Senator Risch’s call for calm in Syria, putting the new Syrian government on notice that human rights abuses against minorities will not be tolerated.”

Shortly after a ceasefire was declared in Aleppo’s Kurdish areas on Sunday, the Syrian army’s Operations Command on Tuesday designated the eastern Aleppo towns of Deir Hafer and Maskanah as “closed military zones.”

These towns are controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an affiliate of the Asayish, which serves as the de facto military force in Rojava. The SDF is also the primary on-the-ground partner of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, playing a central role in the extremist group’s territorial defeat in Syria in 2019.
Crucially, seizing the eastern Aleppo areas would allow Damascus and its allied factions to open a logistical corridor connecting Aleppo to Raqqa province in north-central Syria, while also enabling increased military pressure on the SDF in key positions along the Euphrates River.

Senator Graham said Wednesday, “Most disturbing of all is that I’m receiving what I believe to be credible reports that Syrian army forces and Turkey may be advancing further against our Kurdish allies - a move that I believe would prompt a strong response from the United States.”

He added, “While I support giving this new Syrian government a chance, I will not tolerate or accept a brazen attack against our Kurdish allies,” concluding, “To the Syrian government and Turkey: choose wisely.”

US lawmakers warn Damascus on Kurdish forces, minority rights

Diyar Kurda@diyarkurda
RUDAW

Congressmen who spoke to on January 14, 2026. Photos: Rudaw

WASHINGTON DC - Senior US House Foreign Affairs Committee members on Wednesday expressed concern over recent attacks on US-backed Kurdish forces in Aleppo, warning they are closely monitoring minority rights and may impose consequences on the Syrian government if abuses continue.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, a Republican, told Rudaw Washington is focused on ensuring that all Syrian communities, including Kurds and other minorities, have a better future than under former President Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorship.

“I’ve had the opportunity to speak to General Mazloum and others,” Mast said, referring to Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi.

“Something that the United States of America is paying attention to - whether it’s the Kurds, whether it’s the Alawites, whether it’s the Druze, whether it’s anybody else [in Syria] - is that we want to see a Syria that presents an opportunity unlike what existed under Bashar al-Assad,” he said.

“We want to see an opportunity for all of the people there, and that’s something that we’re working towards,” Mast added.

The comments come amid heightened tensions in northern Syria, where Kurdish-led forces have accused the Syrian military and Damascus-allied armed groups of rights violations. The attacks have raised concerns in Washington about stability and minority rights under the new Sunni Arab-led interim government.

Backed by armed groups affiliated with Damascus, the Syrian Arab Army this week expanded its attack on the SDF in northern Syria following a military operation to expel Kurdish forces in Aleppo. Around 150,000 residents fled the fighting Kurdish-majority neighborhoods, raising fears of ethnic cleansing and threats against Yazidi minorities.

Rudaw asked lawmakers about Washington’s decision last month to lift sanctions on Syria, which was intended to help the interim government rebuild and improve its human rights record despite reports of continued violations.

Gregory W. Meeks, the top Democrat on the committee, told Rudaw Washington is monitoring developments closely “to make sure they respect the rights of all Syrians, minorities and others.”

He said the Syrian government needs “to get the message, and we’ll be reaching out to others … about what they have to monitor. Otherwise, there will be ramifications.”

Asked about attacks by the Syrian Arab Army on Kurdish forces that fought alongside the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS), Meeks said inclusivity is essential for Syria’s future.

“All of the individuals in Syria, the minority groups, the Kurds, they all should be part of one,” he said. “That is what we’re watching. That is what we’re monitoring. And we’re making that strong message, because just as easily as you take something away, you can bring it back.”

Meeks said Washington hopes Syria is moving in a “new and different direction” after decades of authoritarian rule, adding that US policy will reflect developments on the ground.

Republican congressman Tim Burchett also issued a blunt warning to Damascus, saying Syria’s leadership must change course.

“Syria needs to wake up,” Burchett told Rudaw. US President Donald Trump “is not fooling around. This oppression that [Syrian leaders] do to their people and abuse is just wrong. They’ve had a history of this with these thugs.”

Burchett emphasized that while US military power is significant, economic pressure remains a key tool.

“I believe the President [Trump] understands that the most powerful thing we have is our military, but the second most powerful thing we have is our economic strength,” he said. “I think Syria’s leadership better wake up.”

Responding to a question about attacks on Kurdish forces that fought ISIS, Burchett said, “The enemy of our enemy is our friend, and they’ve been fighting our friends. So, I think they need to shape up.”

KCK says US may have approved ‘assault’ on Aleppo’s Kurdish quarters

13-01-2026
Rudaw

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), an umbrella organization of Kurdish parties, said Tuesday that the assault by the Islamist-led interim authorities in Damascus on Aleppo’s Kurdish-majority neighborhoods may have occurred with the “approval of the US and international powers.”

Deadly clashes erupted last week in Aleppo’s Kurdish neighborhoods after the Syrian Arab Army and its allied armed factions launched a large-scale operation to seize Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsood from the Kurdish Internal Security Forces (Asayish).

The violence left at least 82 people dead, including 43 civilians, according to a Sunday report by the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), and displaced approximately 150,000 others, the Erbil-based Barzani Charity Foundation (BCF) told Rudaw on Saturday.

In a statement, the KCK said the attack followed meetings involving the US, Israel, and Syria, and coincided with what it described as an agreement to cede southern Damascus to Tel Aviv. The bloc claimed this indicates that “the approval of the US and international powers in the region was obtained, or that their silence was ensured.”

Damascus and Tel Aviv resumed negotiations last week after a four-month pause in Washington-mediated talks aimed at de-escalating tensions along their shared border. Syrian state media confirmed that the talks involved senior diplomatic and intelligence officials and noted that they addressed the establishment of a coordination cell between the two sides.

“The attacks on Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo and the approach and attitude of state officials toward our party constitute an attempt to sabotage the peace and democratic society process,” the statement read, referring to ongoing peace efforts between Ankara and the now-dissolved Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) - which rebranded as the Kurdistan Freedom Movement in May and formerly spearheaded the KCK.

The KCK further noted that the attacks on Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsood were aimed to “de-kurdify them” and were driven by “anti-Kurdish sentiment” and “aim to dismantle the autonomous democratic system established by the Kurdish people [in northeast Syria - Rojava] alongside Arabs, Syriacs, and other peoples throughout Syria,” the bloc said.

The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) governs Rojava as a decentralized, multi-ethnic civil administration overseeing local governance, security, and public services.

An internationally mediated ceasefire came into effect on Sunday. Despite this, videos circulated online showing Damascus-affiliated militants rounding up, arresting, and verbally abusing Kurdish civilians. Social media users have also shared images and videos of relatives who they say have gone missing since the violence began.

Ilham Ehmed described the attacks, disclosed documents, demanded an independent investigation

Îlham Ehmed, Co-Head of the Foreign Relations Department of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, explained with documents how the attacks on Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo took place, the war crimes committed and which forces participated.


ANF
NEWS CENTER
Thursday, January 15, 2026, 11:20 AM


Ilham Ehmed, Co-Head of the Foreign Relations Department of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, made a detailed statement on the attacks in Aleppo.

Ilham Ehmed explained in detail which forces participated in the attacks on three neighborhoods where more than 500 thousand civilians live and the crimes committed.

7 PEOPLE FROM MY FAMILY WERE KILLED BY DRONE

Ilham Ehmed also announced at a press conference on Zoom that 7 people from his own family were shot and killed by a drone on a bus in the Şêxmeqsûd neighborhood: "Only 7 people from my family have lost their lives in Sheikh Maqsoud so far. They were shot with a drone while I was in a bus and 7 people from my family died there. Apart from this, the number of civilians who have lost their lives so far is very high. People's homes were looted. The bodies of female fighters are thrown down from high places."

THEY ATTACKED THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE 500 THOUSAND CIVILIANS LIVE

The text shared with the signature of İlham Ehmed is as follows:

Since December 23, 2025, the Syrian government and its forces have been imposing a comprehensive siege on the neighborhoods of Şêxmeqsûd, Eşrefiyê and Banî Zêd in the city of Aleppo. More than 500,000 civilians live in these neighborhoods, including about 55,000 Kurdish families, as well as thousands of Kurds forcibly displaced from the Afrin region occupied by Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) groups in 2018.

This siege is a continuation of long-standing efforts to marginalize and isolate the Kurdish population of northern Syria, representing the continuation of collective punishment and ethnic targeting practices that have been documented since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011. These neighborhoods had remained relatively stable compared to other war-torn areas until this new military escalation.

Seven access roads to Kurdish neighborhoods were also blocked by Defense Ministry checkpoints, and only one road was left open intermittently under heavy military control. This blockade severely restricted the entry of essential items such as food, medicine, fuel, and humanitarian aid, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis. The siege violates the principles of international humanitarian law by depriving hundreds of thousands of civilians of their right to basic livelihoods and health services, and amounts to collective punishment.

Despite repeated communications and official meetings with representatives of the Syrian government demanding that the siege be lifted or that basic necessities be allowed into place, no response or assistance has been provided. This further exacerbated civilian suffering and increased the risk of starvation and disease.

BEGINNING OF THE ATTACKS

On January 6, 2026, groups loyal to the Damascus government launched a large-scale military offensive on the neighborhoods of Şêxmeqsûd and Eşrefiyê. Among the units participating in the attack were the 60th, 62nd, 72nd and 86th Brigades of the Syrian Army. Divisions took part. These units were supplemented by armored vehicles, heavy artillery units, Grad and Katyusha rocket launchers, mortars, DShK heavy machine guns and suicide drones.

The attack deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure and residential areas, clearly violating the law of armed conflict, which requires a distinction between military and civilian targets. This is the first time suicide drones have been used against civilian population centers, marking a strategy to terrorize civilians and break their resistance.

The attack began with suicide drone attacks targeting civilian areas, followed by indiscriminate shelling of residential areas inhabited by unarmed civilians. Tanks and armored vehicles moved towards Kurdish neighborhoods, while civilians in neighboring areas were forcibly evicted from their homes. Snipers were deployed in high-rise buildings surrounding neighborhoods.

Despite the dense civilian population, the Syrian Ministry of Defense declared the Şêxmeqsûd and Eşrefiyê neighborhoods as 'military zones'. Following this identification, heavy weapons were used in residential areas and indiscriminate shelling was carried out. This has raised serious concerns about its use to justify violations of the principle of segregation and the protection of civilians under international humanitarian law.

On January 8, the attack intensified with the involvement of hardline jihadist groups such as Asaib al-Hamra (Red Bands), which had previously been affiliated with al-Qaeda. Important reinforcements came from Idlib and other provinces. Turkish-backed SNA groups participated in the operation, while Turkish reconnaissance drones (Bayraktar) provided aerial surveillance and intelligence support. From the morning of January 8, the operations were led by the Chief of Staff of the Syrian Army, Major General Ali al-Naasan.

The involvement of the Syrian army's regular contingents, as well as extremist groups, and the complicity of foreign actors demonstrate the complexity of alliances that perpetuate violations and war crimes in the region. The attack was carried out with intense shelling using tanks, heavy artillery weapons, rocket systems, mortars and multiple suicide drones carrying high-explosive charges, causing widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure.

LAND ATTACKS AND TARGETING OF MEDICAL FACILITIES

After more than twelve hours of continuous bombardment, Syrian army factions launched coordinated ground offensives on Kurdish neighborhoods on January 7 at around 21:00 and advanced along the three main axes.

On January 8, the Osman Hospital in Ashrafiyê and the Xalid Fecir Hospital, the only functional hospital in Şêxmeqsûd, were repeatedly bombed. The attacks caused severe structural damage and Xalid Fajir Hospital was completely unusable with injured civilians, patients and medical staff still inside. Several health workers were killed, which is a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

Osman Hospital and Xalid Fajir Hospital were repeatedly hit, resulting in severe structural damage, and Xalid Fajir Hospital became unusable while patients and medical staff were inside. Medical facilities are protected under the Geneva Conventions, and attacks on these facilities may constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law.

THE OCCUPATION OF ASHRAFIYE AND THE CONTINUATION OF THE ATTACKS ON ŞÊXMEQSUD

Between January 9 and 10, Ashrafiyê was completely occupied by the attacking forces. Military operations then concentrated on Şêxmedsûd. Civilians, including the wounded, children, the elderly and whole families, remained trapped in the hospital, despite the fact that Xalid Fajir Hospital was out of service. The continued bombardments have led to new casualties among civilians and medical personnel. The hospital remained the last refuge for civilians who could not escape. Civilians, including the wounded, children and the elderly, were trapped in and around Xalid Fajir Hospital as shelling continued. International humanitarian law prohibits using civilians and medical facilities in a manner that exposes them to attack, and such behavior may be considered serious violations.

CEASEFIRE AND FORCED EVACUATION

Following the agreement reached on the evening of January 10 with the mediation of international actors, the ceasefire came into force in the early morning of January 11. The agreement facilitated the evacuation of the dead, wounded civilians and the remaining members of the Internal Security Forces from Shêxmeqsûd to areas in northeastern Syria. Then the clashes ended and the Internal Security Forces withdrew from the neighborhood.

While the ceasefire provided temporary relief, the long-term humanitarian and political consequences remain a major concern.

HUMANITARIAN DISASTER

According to local administrative records and documents that have not yet been completed, in the attacks that took place between January 6-10:

a) 47 civilians, including women, children and the elderly, were killed.

b) 133 civilians were injured.

c) At least 276 civilians have disappeared, many of whom are thought to have been arbitrarily detained.

Human rights organizations warn that these figures likely underestimate the actual number of casualties due to restricted access, ongoing detentions and the critical condition of many injured.

The attacks were followed by a mass exodus, with estimates of 148,000 to 155,000 Kurdish civilians being forcibly displaced from the Kurdish neighborhoods of Aleppo.

FOREIGN ELEMENTS AND DOCUMENTED WAR CRIMES

Foreign fighters played a documented role in the attacks, as confirmed by photos and videos published by the perpetrators themselves. This evidence confirms that serious violations have been committed that may constitute war crimes.

DOCUMENTED CASES:

All visual and witness statements referenced above have been archived, timestamped, and retained to ensure the integrity of the evidence.

*Fighters wearing ISIS emblems who openly participated in the attacks on Şêxmesûd and Eşrefiyê during live media broadcasts.

*Turkish citizen Khalil Yavuz, a member of the Turkish Kurds League, is recorded as boasting about the siege and threatening civilians with death.

*Egyptian citizen Ahmed Mansour was filmed participating in the murder and dismemberment of a female member of the Internal Security Forces. Mansour is also alleged to have been involved in previous massacres committed off the coast of Syria and in Suwayda.

*Samit Dagol (Abdul Samad), a Turkish citizen wanted for links to ISIS and al-Qaeda, posed as a journalist affiliated with Asaib al-Hamra during the attacks.

*Members of the Turkish Kurds Union kidnap Kurdish youths and there are reasonable fears that these young people will be extrajudicially executed.

OTHER DOCUMENTED VIOLATIONS:

* Use of tanks and heavy weapons in densely populated residential areas near Xalid Fajir Hospital

* Direct targeting of the Great Mosque in Şêxmedsûd under false pretexts.

* Dragging, dismembering and destroying corpses accompanied by racist and sectarian insults

*Abuse and humiliation of detained civilians, including families and the elderly

*Testimonies of civilian witnesses describing widespread terror, looting and abuse during the five-day attack

POST-CEASEFIRE CONDITIONS

Despite the ceasefire, Kurdish neighborhoods remain under de facto siege. Arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, harassment and restrictions on movement continue unabated. Humanitarian access remains severely limited, and the presence of extremist militias integrated into state security structures poses a constant threat to civilian security.

INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION AND CALL FOR ACTION

The international community should urgently deploy independent observers to oversee the ceasefire and prevent further violations. Diplomatic recognition and assistance to Syria must be conditioned on the verified protection and political participation of Kurds and other minorities. The March 10 agreement, which protects Kurdish rights, must be fully implemented and extremist militias must be removed from the state security forces. Inclusive political participation of all Syrian communities is essential to achieving lasting peace.