France begins landmark trial over Islamic State genocide of Yazidis

A French court on Monday began a landmark trial examining the Islamic State (IS) group’s campaign against the Yazidi religious minority in northern Iraq. It is the first time France has prosecuted a suspect for genocide linked to the attacks on the community in Iraq and Syria.


Issued on: 16/03/2026 - RFI

Many Yazidis fled their homes after attacks by the Islamic State group targeting the minority community in Iraq. PHOTO/AHMAD AL-RUBAYE

The accused is a French jihadist presumed dead but still being tried in absentia for his alleged role in enslaving and abusing Yazidi women and children.

Sabri Essid, born in Toulouse in 1984, joined the Islamic State group in Syria in early 2014. Investigators say he first worked as a bodyguard to a senior IS leader before becoming a member of the Amniyat, the organisation’s internal security and intelligence branch.

He faces charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and complicity in those crimes committed in Syria between August 2014 and 2016.

Four Yazidi women and their seven children have been identified as victims in the case.

Essid is presumed to have died in Syria in 2018. Because there is no official confirmation of his death, French courts say they can still try him in absentia in case he reappears in Syria or Iraq. The trial is scheduled to run until Friday.

Survivors speak out

The four Yazidi women described captivity marked by deprivation and repeated violence.

Investigators say they were deprived of water, food, medical care and freedom, and spoke of repeated rapes carried out with “violence and brutality”. They said Essid treated them “like sexual merchandise”.

“It is important to understand that an unspeakable horror fell upon these women,” said lawyer Clémence Bectarte, who represents three of the women and is a member of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), an international rights group.

Bectarte told RFI the women had been held by multiple Islamic State fighters during their captivity.

“When I started working with these four women, there was frustration. They had been detained, bought, raped and enslaved by sometimes 10 or 15 members of Daesh,” Bectarte said, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group.

“This trial concerns just one of their tormentors. Of course it is nothing compared with what a trial could have been that delivered justice for all the crimes they suffered. But for each of them it is very important to name the crimes, to recognise them and to ensure their voices are heard through a process of justice."

The women are now focused on the future of their children, Bectarte added.

Recognising genocide

The Islamic State group targeted the Yazidis, a religious minority mainly living in northern Iraq, during its expansion in 2014.

Thousands of Yazidi men were killed while women and girls were abducted and enslaved.

More than 5,000 people were killed and more than 400,000 were displaced from their homes. Thousands of Yazidi women and children are still missing or believed to be held captive.

In May 2021, Karim Khan, who led a United Nations investigation into the atrocities, said investigators had found “clear and convincing evidence that genocide was committed by IS against the Yazidis as a religious group”.

The UN inquiry also identified 1,444 suspected perpetrators of the genocide, including 18 senior Islamic State leaders and the French national Sabri Essid.
National courts step in

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has not opened an investigation into the crimes because the most senior Islamic State leaders involved were nationals of countries that are not parties to the court.

In the absence of a case before the ICC, national courts have become the main path to justice for Yazidi victims.

Germany delivered the first conviction for genocide against the Yazidis in November 2021, when a court in Frankfurt found an IS member known as Taha Al J guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity.

Trials have also taken place in Sweden, the Netherlands and Belgium. In Brussels late last year, a court convicted Sammy Djedou, born to a Belgian mother and Ivorian father and also presumed dead, of genocide against the Yazidis.

For many years France mainly prosecuted citizens who joined the Islamic State group under terrorism charges rather than genocide or crimes against humanity.

Bectarte said that changed after years of legal advocacy.

“In 2017 we began a long effort with the FIDH to explain the importance of also prosecuting crimes against humanity and genocide when there were indications and evidence that French nationals had been involved, particularly in the sexual enslavement of Yazidis,” she told RFI.

Investigations also showed that the persecution of Yazidis formed part of a broader policy organised by the Islamic State group.

“What really emerges from these cases is how much the genocide committed against the Yazidis resulted from a policy put in place, planned and dictated by Islamic State even before or at the moment it captured Mount Sinjar in August 2014,” Bectarte said.
Path to jihad

Essid’s involvement in jihadist networks dates back years before he joined the Islamic State

As a teenager he developed an interest in religion and later became radicalised under the influence of Fabien Clain, one of the men who claimed responsibility for the November 2015 Paris attacks.

In 2006 Essid was arrested in Syria while trying to reach Iraq to fight US forces alongside another future IS member, Thomas Barnouin. He was returned to France and sentenced in 2009 to five years in prison, including one suspended year, for criminal association linked to preparing a terrorist act.

After his release he worked as a crane operator.

Essid later became close to Mohamed Merah, who carried out the 2012 attacks in Toulouse and Montauban. The two men became step-brothers when Essid’s father married Merah’s mother.

Despite being under surveillance by French intelligence services, Essid travelled to Syria in February 2014 with his family.

Investigators say he later appeared in an IS propaganda video released on 10 March 2015.

In the video, his 11-year-old stepson shoots a 19-year-old hostage presented as an Israeli agent. Essid can be heard threatening Israelis and referring to the attack on the Hyper Cacher supermarket in Paris.

Investigators say the video was also used to intimidate Yazidi women held captive by Essid. Some later recognised him in the footage and identified him as one of their abusers.

French woman faces genocide trial over enslavement of Yazidi girl

There are several conflicting accounts of Essid’s death.

Islamic State records captured by US forces list him as a “martyr” in January 2018. His wife said he died on 4 February 2018 after being executed by former IS members who had defected. Another propaganda account said he died after stepping on a mine.

Because none of these claims has been officially confirmed, French courts still consider him a fugitive and have proceeded with the genocide trial.

Next year, a 36-year-old French woman who returned from Syria is due to be tried on terrorism charges and for complicity in crimes against humanity. Sonia Mejri will also become the first French woman tried for genocide in Paris after an appeal challenging the case was rejected. She is accused of enslaving a Yazidi teenager in 2015.

Bectarte said investigations have also changed how some women linked to Islamic State are viewed.

“For a time, the women and family members of French nationals who joined Daesh were seen primarily as victims,” she said.

“But as investigations progressed, particularly through testimony from Yazidi survivors, it became clear that in some cases women had also played a role in the whole system.”

For the Yazidi community, the trials represent part of a broader search for justice after years of persecution that reached its worst point between 2014 and 2016.

This story was adapted from the original version in French by Anne Bernas and Laura Martel

SEE

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=YEZIDI

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=YAZIDI

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=YEZEDI

  

Syria: Can the Rojava Revolution survive?

By Dave Holmes

Published date 12 February, 2026

First published at Arguing for Socialism.

This January saw dramatic changes in Syria. From controlling one-third of the country, the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North East Syria (DAANES) and its military forces, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have been pushed back to the Kurdish heartland in north-east Syria and forced to agree to a very harsh “integration” with the Islamist regime in Damascus.

On January 6 a meeting took place in Paris: Israel, Syria, the United States and Turkey were all involved. It set the seal on what later took place.

That same day the assault began against Kurdish districts in Aleppo. The SDF was soon pushed out of all positions west of the Euphrates. Next it was forced to withdraw from Arab-majority towns east of the river, in the south: Deir Ezzor, Taqba and Raqqa.

Raqqa had been the Islamic State (IS) capital in Syria. It was liberated at tremendous human cost in a gruelling four-month battle in 2017. The Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) played a central role in the victory.

Rojava Revolution

French Marxist Michel Löwy recently gave an interview to ANF News.

Löwy said the Rojava experience must be protected, adding that the coming weeks and months will show whether the Rojava model can survive. He said: 

If this experience comes to an end, it would be tragic. Despite all its problems, limitations, and contradictions, Rojava has been one of the most advanced experiences in the world in terms of real democracy and women’s liberation.

For everyone fighting for socialism, women’s rights, and ecology, it has been an inspiring experience. That is why its complete destruction would be a great loss.

Western governments profess a commitment to women’s rights, democracy, multiculturalism and ecology, but in reality they saw Rojava as a threat — they do not want anything like it in the Middle East or at home. So, beyond some empty words they have no intention of doing anything meaningful to support Rojava in its hour of need.

Alliance with the US

Washington has openly thrown the Kurds under the proverbial bus. What was involved? As US envoy Tom Barrack brutally explained, previously the US needed them, now it does not. Washington has instead plunged on Turkey and the Damascus regime.

I think it is incorrect to describe this as a “betrayal”. Washington was never on board politically and never pretended otherwise. The collaboration was never more than a tactical alliance between the US military and the Kurdish/SDF forces.

So, when Turkey seized Afrin in 2018 and two years later seized another chunk of Rojava, the US did nothing. In the light of what has happened, the idea — popular in some quarters — that the Kurds were a “proxy” of the US is simply ridiculous.

Arab involvement

The SDF was a majority Arab formation. Several hundred Arab fighters were martyred in various struggles. A significant number of Arab women joined the YPJ, attracted by the idea of a life free of patriarchal restrictions and commitment to the struggle.

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, the new Damascus regime and its Turkish backers have made an enormous and sustained effort to peel the Arab tribes away from their alliance with the Kurds. Arab chauvinism has always been a key weapon of successive regimes in Syria and it was obvious it would feature heavily this time around too. Because the revolution has had a differential impact on Kurdish and Arab society, this tack had a considerable effect.

Any Arab personalities or forces that continue to collaborate with the Kurds will be under mortal threat from Turkey and the Damascus gang.

Turkey’s role

From the foundation of the Turkish republic in 1923, the various regimes there have always been extremely anti-Kurd. There have been massacres, language bans, repression and marginalisation of the 25% of the population that is Kurdish. The regime aims to crush any manifestation of Kurdishness, wherever and whenever it appears.

Of course, Turkey is perfectly happy with the kleptocratic Barzani gang, which dominates the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq. The KRG is a typical Third World setup, with extreme inequalities of wealth and income. It is completely subservient to Turkey and the US.

Turkey constantly presents Rojava as a security threat. The idea that a few million people who simply want a peaceful life seriously threaten Turkey’s security is completely ludicrous. But what does threaten the Turkish regime is the power of a positive example (feminism, self-government, democracy, inter-ethnic harmony and so on).

In his interview, Lowy also addressed the ongoing process in Turkey aimed at a democratic solution to the Kurdish question, saying that the government of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has never approached this process sincerely. Löwy said: 

The attacks on Rojava are proof of this. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) accepted disarmament, yet Erdoğan did not show even the smallest sign of goodwill. Kurdish prisoners remain in jail. The leaders of the legal Kurdish party are imprisoned. Kurdish mayors have been removed from the office. While steps have been taken on the side of the Kurdish movement, there has been no corresponding step whatsoever from the Turkish government.

We might add that Turkey continues building its bases in northern Iraq. Furthermore, Shengal (Sinjar), the autonomous area that is home to the Kurdish Yezidi people, is under constant threat from Turkey or the Iraqi government under Turkish pressure.

It seems that Erdoğan simply wants an electoral boost for his party from the dissolution of the PKK and that is it.

Details of deal

Let us look at what the deal between the Kurds and Damascus involves. All this is taken from the January 30 article on X by MaximeAzadi (machine translation; I’ve numbered the points for convenience):

The main points of the agreement

1. Ceasefire between Damascus and the SDF.
2. Withdrawal of military forces from the lines of contact.
3. Deployment of Syrian Ministry of the Interior security forces in the urban centres of Hasakah and Qamishli.
4. Gradual integration of local security forces into the structures of the Syrian state.
5. Creation of a military division integrated into the Syrian army, composed of three SDF brigades and one brigade from Kobani, under the authority of the Aleppo Governorate.
6. Integration of the institutions of the Autonomous Administration into the Syrian state.
7. Permanent positions for current civil servants.
8. Guarantee of the civil, cultural, and educational rights of the Kurdish people.
9. Safe and dignified return of displaced persons to their areas of origin.

So far, Kobani remains under total siege (by Turkey and the Damascus regime); no refugees have been allowed to return to Afrin and the other Turkish-occupied regions; and Damascus is demanding that the SDF hand over its heavy weapons (i.e., effectively disarm).

Maxime Azadi continues:

What is not stated

1. Kurdish rights: To what extent will the civil, cultural and educational rights of Kurds be guaranteed? Will there be a dedicated education system in the Kurdish regions or will Kurdish language instruction be limited to a single optional subject, as Damascus desires? Will these rights be individual, collective or national in nature? No details have been provided at this stage.
2. Afrin and Serekaniyê: What guarantees exist for the return of residents to Kurdish cities under Turkish occupation? What will the form of administration, security, and governance be in these regions? Here again, no clear mechanism has been announced.
3. Women’s Defence Forces: Will the Women’s Defence Forces be part of the integrated brigades? Will their presence be maintained in the Kurdish regions as it is today? Will they be integrated into the local security forces in the Kurdish regions, or will they be completely dissolved? No specific details have been provided.
4. Preservation of identities and ways of life: Will the Kurds be able to preserve the democratic and secular character of their regions, or will it be dominated by Damascus’s vision? This question also applies to all other ethnic and religious communities. Will they be able to preserve their distinctiveness and way of life?
5. Applicability of the agreement: The implementation of the agreement remains uncertain in a context where the Syrian regime relies on a mosaic of armed groups, including several jihadist groups and pro-Turkish paramilitary militias, accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Some of these factions are still on Western terrorist lists.
6. Guarantees and oversight: Who will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the agreement? What mechanisms are in place to address violations or failures to uphold commitments?
7. Justice and accountability: Will perpetrators of serious crimes be prosecuted and held accountable, or will they enjoy de facto impunity?
8. Security of the Kurdish population: How can the Kurdish civilian population trust the Damascus forces deployed in Kurdish cities? Who will concretely guarantee the protection of Kurdish civilians on the ground?

Crucial role of solidarity

How bad will it get? As Azadi’s post indicates, things are already bad and could get much worse very quickly.

The Kurdish people and their allies will resist. They still have their armed forces. But they do not want Rojava to be given the Gaza treatment (that is, mass destruction and a general massacre).

International solidarity is of vital importance. Already, the large and repeated actions in Western Europe have put the spotlight on Rojava and forced the Western governments to sound some warnings to Damascus. The large protests in Iraqi Kurdistan have also been notable.

Was Rojava doomed from the start? That is not a revolutionary attitude. Was the Russian Revolution doomed? Is the human race doomed by climate change? In a particular situation people seize their chance and risk everything to push the struggle forward to a new level. The future is not given; the struggle decides.

Sheikh Akram Mashoush: ‘After all the martyrs, how could we suddenly ally with parties whose mentality we do not believe in?’

By Akram Mashoush & Rojava Information Centre

Published date 12 February, 2026

First published at Rojava Information Center.

What is the history of your tribe in this region? How was it during the Assad government?

The tribal connections between different tribes and communities go back decades, not only to the Assad era, but even to the Ottoman Empire. In particular, the links between Arab and Kurdish communities date back to Ottoman times, continued through the French mandate, and survived throughout the Assad regime. These connections endured all those eras and were never broken. After the establishment of the Autonomous Administration (AANES), these links did not disappear. For those of us who have a conscience, they cannot be ignored. We have family ties, neighborly ties, and shared village life. In our villages, Kurds and Yazidis live together with Arabs. These connections cannot be forgotten or denied. They were not created by us, but by our grandfathers. They made our communities connected and cohesive, and with time, they have only grown stronger. Today, when we see our Kurdish brothers suffering and under attack, can we abandon them? We see our Kurdish brothers being attacked by ISIS and by different forces that have taken control of parts of Syria. No, we cannot abandon these humanitarian, social, and ethical bonds. These ties force us to remain together — not only within AANES, but in all aspects of life. Even if AANES were to end, we would not separate or cut these ties. They are social bonds based on coexistence. These connections go so deep that they even exist at the level of milk kinship, a Middle Eastern tradition in which a child breastfed by a woman who is not his mother becomes her milk-son or milk-brother to her children. Such ties are never forgotten, regardless of what happens. We will continue on this path no matter what we go through.

In Hasakah, there are around one million people from the Jabour tribe. This tribe has a different and special relationship with the Kurds compared to other tribes. The Jabour tribe has a long history of ties with the communities of the region, and because we lived side by side with Kurds in mixed areas, these ties became even stronger. My own name, Akram Hajo Mashoush, comes from a Kurdish person from Tirbespiye. These ties are not new. We learned the Kurdish language through living together. It is impossible for us to abandon all of this simply because of military circumstances.

At the military level, the situation of Jabour was different. Even during the Assad era, we were marginalized. Unlike the Shammar tribe, which comes from broader regions and formed the Sanadid Forces to protect borders, we did not form a separate military entity. We preserved our tribal structure and focused on social cohesion and family ties through marriage with different communities. With full respect to other tribes, these factors gave Jabour a unique relationship with the Kurds. There are members of Jabour from Sheddadi married to Kurdish women in Darbasiye, and the same exists between Tel Brak, Qamishlo, and Derik. These ties were not invented or recently created; circumstances simply made the Jabour tribe more closely connected to the Kurds than any other tribe. What is the SDF? It is a force formed from tribes. There is a clan called Mahasin with more than 5,000 fighters within the SDF. There are more than 800 martyrs from the Jabour tribe within the SDF. We did not seek an autonomous entity or structure; we only wanted to protect ourselves. We joined the fight against ISIS because of its brutality – killings, slaughter, oppression, and harsh treatment of women. These conditions only strengthened our cohesion and unity.

What is your opinion about the most recent agreement between the SDF/DAANES and the Syrian Transitional Government (STG)?

The fundamental principle of the current agreement is the ceasefire. As people everywhere welcome such understandings, we, as people living in the area, strongly support and bless it. Government forces are only a few kilometers away, and we are surrounded. Deadlines were given for evacuating areas. Therefore, any ceasefire or agreement is something we genuinely support. All notable figures of the Jabour tribe welcome it. We have always sought a ceasefire between the Damascus government and the SDF. This agreement must lead to positive outcomes that serve the Syrian people. Fighting only brings bloodshed, displacement, and deeper divisions among communities. We want guarantors to take responsibility and ensure the agreement is implemented and not violated. We support the SDF and AANES delegations in their agreements related to security arrangements, integration, and the formation of brigades within the Syrian Army. In the end, we are Syrians. We do not want Syrian blood to be shed. All those killed are Syrians. None of the foreign states have lost their citizens; only Syrians pay the price. This agreement aims to preserve Syrian blood, and its most important pillar is the ceasefire, which can revive coexistence.

Can you explain about the recent tribal defections from the DAANES to the STG?

Turkey has worked to divide the tribes in order to destroy the social fabric. They do not see the SDF as representing Syrians, but only as representing Kurds, and they consider it an enemy, despite the SDF having over 15,000 martyrs and more than 50,000 wounded. Some tribes were influenced by this mentality, including ISIS-like thinking. Turkish intelligence (MIT) also played a role, convincing some tribes — not all — that their situation would improve if the SDF were gone. Even some figures within AANES, such as Muhbash, the head of the negotiation committee, acknowledged this. Tribes are not political organizations and lack deep political experience. They were subjected to pressure, threats, and promises of financial support. This explains why some switched sides. When cities like Tabqa, Raqqa, and parts of Deir ez-Zor fell, uprisings happened even before the Syrian army arrived, proving that there were prior plans. Weaknesses in the security experience of AANES prevented early detection of these breaches. At the same time, the SDF and AANES did not want to be dragged into cycles of violence. They did not want destruction or to kill their own brothers and sisters who rose against them. That is why these areas fell quickly. Many of my relatives and cousins are in Damascus. They offered me defection, positions, and benefits. I completely refused. This goes against my principles and conscience. After all the martyrs, sacrifices, and coexistence, how could we suddenly switch sides and ally with parties whose mentality we do not believe in? This is for those in Damascus. But unfortunately, some members of our tribe, here in the area, used extremely bad language toward me. They threatened me, sent insulting messages and videos, and attempted to intimidate me.

After the agreement is implemented, we hope bloodshed will stop and the situation will be organized. We are all Syrians, and no one should be denied their rights. The Kurdish people have a special situation and legitimate rights that must be recognized. They were among the first to fight and offer martyrs in the revolution, before the formation of the SDF, through the YPG and YPJ. They protected everyone, including Arab communities, even before the creation of the SDF and AANES.

Do you have any critiques for the DAANES?

We do acknowledge shortcomings in services and administration. These were not military or political failures, but administrative ones. Despite having agricultural land, oil, and resources, we failed to meet people’s needs. There was no water, electricity solutions were lacking, bread shortages existed despite wheat abundance, and fuel crises persisted despite oil resources.

These failures are real. However, they do not justify switching sides simply because AANES is weakening. Administrative and service failures exist, but abandoning everything because of them is not justified.

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.