Within the framework of the security chaos within the areas under the control of the factions loyal to the Turkish occupation… Cases of enforced disappearances and kidnappings of civilians increase

Yamen Al Khaled – Aleppo
“Not a day goes by without recording cases of enforced disappearance among civilians, including women and children, for mysterious reasons, in light of the apparent inability of the Syrian National Army factions to control the reality. Rather, they have a major role in the chaos,” says one of the citizens who live In northwestern of Syria, in areas that are supposed to be called “liberated,” meaning that they are outside the control of the Syrian government and are in the hands of the Syrian opposition, which adopted the “Syrian revolution” on the basis that the country would be moved to a better state than the previous one.

The state of security chaos continues in the areas under the control of the Syrian National Army, says the citizen, who confirms the diversity of enforced disappearances in the opposition areas, and classifies them into two types, either kidnapping on a personal basis, or kidnapping carried out by organized networks whose goal is financial ransom.

Aso News Network contacted many citizens, as well as observers of the matter and journalists, to confirm the cases of enforced disappearances and that they are either personally, that is, by kidnapping or detention, or in retaliation by authorities that have authority against people who have no authority, or on the basis of Personal reasons that occur against the indigenous population or settlers, so they are subject to disappearance, and these are frequent within the areas where the indigenous population resides in the occupied cities such as Afrin and Serekaniye / Ras al-Ain, or the displaced and refugees, including settlers, who have no knowledge of the geography of the region, and enforced disappearance is of the second type. And it poses a danger, and a threat to the lives of civilians, is disappearance through organized gangs and networks, operating under the misdemeanours of the factions, where the factions claim the inability to arrest them, but in reality these gangs operate with the knowledge of the Turkish occupation and the factions of the Syrian National Army.

In his testimony to “Aso News Network”, “Ahmed Abu al-Abid” (a pseudonym for a journalist who resides in the city of Azaz in the northern countryside of Aleppo) says that the factions loyal to the Turkish occupation have largely failed to control the state of security and stability within their areas of influence, and all areas are witnessing a state of security chaos, which It exhausts civilians, and the phenomenon of enforced disappearance is one of the most prominent challenges facing the stability of civilians in areas controlled by the factions loyal to the Turkish occupation

Adding, on a daily basis, there are many civilians, women, children and young men who disappear as soon as they leave their homes, and a very small percentage of those who are found and returned to their homes, while the rest are still unknown, and there are no accurate statistics about the number of forcibly disappeared, but one or more cases occur almost daily, while there are pages that report on a daily basis about cases of enforced disappearance of civilians.

Abu al-Abid points out that there is a percentage of these cases due to reasons related to the disappeared, such as psychological disorders or family problems that push him to leave the house without returning, but most cases of enforced disappearance are caused by an active act and because of kidnapping carried out by organized networks in the region, and this thing became clear through a number of the cases that were released and the perpetrators caught, according to the testimonies and sources, a small number of the disappeared or kidnapped were returned and liberated and a number of the perpetrators were caught. The return is either ransom or the kidnapped person has the support of some faction that helps to rid him of the gangs that are basically supported from other military factions.

“Abu al-Abid” confirms that these networks, all the factions loyal to the Turkish occupation have been unable to put an end to it despite the presence of advanced military and security capabilities and with Turkish support (logistical and financial support for the factions). Most of these networks blackmail the victims’ families in order to obtain money or kidnap girls for sexual purposes. It also includes settling accounts and retaliation between the kidnapper and the kidnapped or his relatives, while the people in the area confirm that the networks, had the factions not allowed them to operate, would not have been able to commit violations against civilians.

Abu al-Abid stresses the need to put an end to the phenomenon of enforced disappearance and kidnapping, and for the factions to assume their responsibilities towards the safety of civilians and not to expose them to danger, or for these factions and their security services to admit their powerlessness and this phenomenon goes beyond the limits of their ability.

Women and children are undoubtedly the most affected victims as a result of enforced disappearance, kidnapping and security chaos in general within the areas controlled by the factions loyal to the Turkish occupation, as Mrs. Zainab Al-Khaled (a pseudonym), a displaced woman from the town of Latmin in the northern countryside of Hama, who lives in the city of Azaz in the Northern countryside of Aleppo, about the story of her sister’s kidnapping for more than a week, and she says, that the story began on February 30, 2021, after her sister (Esraa) “24 years old, went out, at exactly eight o’clock in the evening, to visit one of her friends, and minutes later it became clear that she had not reached her home.” Her friend, and contact with her was completely cut off, the search continued for a whole week.

And she adds, after about a week had passed, it was found that she was in the house of someone who kidnapped her and resides in the town of Harem in the northern countryside of Idlib, where consultations with him began and negotiations to return her, as he initially prevented her from returning and had confirmed that he wanted to marry her or rape her if she refused, before she refused. Some notables intervene to the point of controversy and return her a week after her abduction.

Zainab says that the offender was not held accountable, and he escaped punishment and accountability despite his knowledge by the factions, after he left her on one of the roads, then let her go to one of the mediators in the area, who in turn handed her over to her family, after taking the guarantee that she would not be attacked (usually done, punishing the girl in case she was kidnapped, even if it was forcibly by her family, and this is something that is widespread in some Syrian regions, especially the tribal ones, and it creates fear on the part of the kidnapped girl.

In cases such as these, women are blamed in society even if injustice befalls them, as society holds the woman accountable, especially since she has been kidnapped by a man. Talking about a woman’s honor will be sufficient by society to hold her accountable by her family.

Despite the end of her sister’s case, “Al-Khaled” still fears that she will be kidnapped again or exposed to her in light of her presence in areas similar to what she described as “the jungle”, as there is no form of law, deterring criminals from committing crimes and putting an end to the lawlessness Happening.

In turn, “Abu Musab” (a pseudonym) from the town of Khan Sheikhoun in the southern countryside of Idlib, a settler who lives in the occupied city of Afrin, tells in his testimony to “Aso News Network”, the story of a girl surviving a kidnapping attempt by a young man and a woman in a van. While the child was near the house he rents, in broad daylight, he says that the incident occurred on April 5, 2020, after he went to buy some necessities, leaving the child near the house, while his mother was busy with some housework, at which time a car stopped next to him.

“Van” type, attempted kidnapping of the child, when the mother could realize this she screamed and pleaded for panic from those in the neighbourhood. Abu Musab added that, during the kidnapping of the child, civilians from the neighborhood were able to report the checkpoints surrounding the city and the police station, at the time when civilians went to chase the car via motorcycles. Indeed, the perpetrators, a young man and a woman, were arrested and then handed over to the police.
Abu Musab can no longer leave his 8-year-old son, realizing that no forces are able to protect civilians, but that military forces are partners with the kidnappers.

Kidnappings against children and adults abound for various reasons, according to a public observer. This is due to the security chaos and living conditions. He says that many cases of kidnapping are motivated by material motives, organ trade, or rape.