Wake-up call for the international community

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There is further information from the Media Institute of the Federation of Western Kurdistan Society:

We reported that on 16^th April 2010, Hediya Eli Yusef, an activist in the ‘Sittar’ Women’s Federation. was arrested with others in Hasse village http://supportkurds.org/news/activist-from-sittar-womens-federation-arrested-in-syria . This was the same time and place as the other report of intelligence security forces storming mourners in Hassei villagehttp://supportkurds.org/news/mourners-attacked-by-security-forces-in-syria.

Some of those who were arrested are injured.

A women tried to help one of the young people who had been wounded by the security forces, but she was beaten on the head by the security forces. Her nose and her rib were also broken. Mohamed Ibrahim Sheikh Khalil was shot in his stomach. The houses locally were raided to intimidate the local people.

International Support Kurds in Syria Association – SKS wishes to bring this incident to the attention of the European Union, United Nations and UK Government. We reported the shooting in al-Raqqa on 21 March 2010 where one person (originally thought to be three people) was killed by security forces who fired randomly into the crowd, injuring many and arresting over a hundred of those present. There was a lot of secrecy by the authorities following the incident that made it difficult to access accurate information. The events at Hassei village are a repetition of this tactic by the authorities for the second time in a month.

SKS is very concerned that the authorities are deliberately setting out to use live bullets, weapons, open assault and intimidation in a flagrant abuse of their power against the Kurdish people at this time, under the rules of the ‘State of Emergency’ and ‘martial law’ which are said to exist because of a threat from Israel:

The Syrian Arab Republic, which is a founder member of the United Nations, has been subjected by Israel to the actual threat of war since 1948. Sometimes, this threat has reached the stage of an attack against Syrian territory, airspace and territorial waters. (Report of the Syrian Arab Republic to UN Committee against Torture 2009, para 111, accessed at http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cat/cats44.htm).

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office [FCO] Human Rights report published in March 2010 makes reference in the introduction to:

… arbitrary arrests, intimidation, torture, travel bans, lack of freedom of expression, and lack of respect for the rights of the Kurdish minority….’

The FCO also draws particular attention to the abusive and deteriorating situation for the Kurdish population as a whole:

The Foreign Secretary has publicly reiterated the UK’s concerns in Parliament, making clear that “the UK is particularly concerned with the deterioration in the situation for opposition politicians and Syria’s Kurdish population, and the restrictions of basic civil rights and freedom of the media”.

The UN Committee is currently considering Syria’s adherence to the Convention against Torture and significant reports have been submitted as evidence that in Syria, inhuman and degrading treatment, and torture is used against the Kurds.

We suggest that the Syrian authorities are growing in confidence in using these measures against the Kurds because they have no respect for their life, whilst at the same time the international community is planning tourism and business plans with the Syrian Government, because they see Syria as being a lucrative part of the global economy, and a valuable player in finding a solution to the Middle East ‘problem’.

Kurds are the largest minority ethnic group in Syria, there being an estimated 3 million of us. We feel as though we are a pawn in everyone else’s game rather than as a people who have rights as identified in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We need your support.

We at SKS ask the European Union, United Nations and UK Government what action will be taken in response to the Syrian Government’s continuing and increasing abuse of Kurds.

27 April 2010

© SKS,

Letter to Swedish Government – please accept Hooshang Osei

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To the Swedish Immigration Directorate

To whom it may concern

We, the undersigned organizations and personalities, we hope that you would show concern for the request of the Syrian Kurdish writer, poet and journalist Hooshang Osei (real name: Abdul-Aziz Mohammed Osei) submitted to the Swedish consulate in Istanbul on 11/2/2010, under No. 11 479 966, with a view of obtaining residency in the Kingdom of Sweden. The writer Hooshang Osei is one of the Syrian Kurds that are deprived of their citizenship, and are denied their political, cultural and civil rights. He was forced to flee to Turkey after exposure to the Syrian security investigations, and was threatened with arrest if he did not stop his political writings criticising the Syrian, Turkish, and Iranian authorities.

He is now registered with the Office of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Ankara, as a political refugee.

However, the Turkish Interior Ministry refused to grant him a temporary resident status pending his resettlement to a third country by the High Commission.

Thus, Hooshang Osei’s life is in danger. And he is exposed to a real risk of persecution by the Syrian government. Especially that Syria and Turkey security relations are very close. And upon it, we hope you speed up the procedure for granting the right of residence for Hooshang Osei, as quickly as possible, and dealing with his case as very special, and urgent.

Please accept our sincere thanks

Previous report: http://supportkurds.org/news/the-kurdish-political-writer-hooshang-osei-seeking-asylum

Three Kurds shot dead, 41 injured at Newroz in Syria

March 21, 2010 by sks

Filed under News, Syria

Intelligence security and informers turned Newroz celebrations into a massacre when two young men and a teenage girl were murdered and forty-one others injured when they were fired on by intelligence service personnel.

General Khalid al-Halabi – head of state security branch in al-Raqqa, and Abdul Razzak al-Jassim – head of the Ba’ath Party branch in al-Raqqa had attended a meeting a week ago in al-Raqqa province where it was decided that Ba’ath Party members would go to the Newroz celebrations area on 21 March 2010 to provoke the Kurdish revellers.

Today Kurds went to celebrate Newroz where wheat is kept and processed in al-Raqqa, and were enjoying theatre and festivities, having decorated the place with Kurdish flags and pictures of martyrs and the Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan. Fifteen minutes into the celebrations, Ba’ath Party members arrived with Syrian flags and photos of the President to incite trouble, and without provocation, the security forces opened fire randomly at the crowd and used tear gas on them. Other members of the security forces were seen to be on standby near to the area.

Three people died, and forty one were injured in this bloodshed today. Two of the injured, Mohammed Khalil and Mohammed Osman were taken to al-Razi hospital in Aleppo because of the seriousness of their injuries. Mohammed Osman’s is in a very critical condition.

Others who were wounded and also arrested are:

Ibraham Daou

Kaniwar

Mahmoud Mustafa

Hawker Ibrahim

Mohammed Hoshak

Khalil Ibrahim

Hamrash

Ali Muhammad Nebo

Mohammed Omar Haider died tonight at 9.15pm in hospital due to his injuries. He had lost an eye during the violence. As yet the names of the other two who were killed have not been released. Their bodies were taken by the security forces. People who have visited the hospitals to enquire after family members have been arrested. There is strong security at the hospitals at this time.

Comment: This massacre of Kurdish people celebrating Newroz in the Western Kurdistan area of Syria has been shocking. Many people are asking:

Why do Kurds face live bullets in this way?

Why is Kurdish blood considered to be so cheap? This has happened before to Kurds who were celebrating their history and culture peacefully, for example in 2008 three Kurds were murdered in Qamishli whilst celebrating Newroz.

Why does the Ba’athist state use warfare, murder and terrorism against Kurds?

Report from Media Institute of West Kurdistan Society

Co-Chair: International Support Kurds in Syria Association [SKS]

Web: www.supportkurds.org

Kurdish man died under torture in Syria, two others arrested.

February 14, 2010 by sks

According to Syrian Committee for Human Rights – MAD, Mohammed Musto Rashid from Mabatli, Afrin, died as a result of torture in Aleppo Central prison. He had been in detention for nearly four months, and had been subjected to severe torture, and was taken to hospital in Allepo where he stayed for four days. He was then sent back to prison and his death was announced on 19 January 2010. The reason for his arrest and detention is not known, nor if this was in connection with any political activity.

Zahr al-Din Khorshid Ibish and his brother Rashid, from the town of Afrin, were arrested on 1 January 2010 after a raid on their house by security forces. Zahr al-Din Khorshid Ibish had been detained in Turkey for eight years for allegedly belonging to the PKK. He was handed to the Syrian authorities in 2004, and was then imprisoned for three months. He then moved to live in Lebanon with his brother, where he worked for three years. On return to Syria they were arrested again, but the reasons for the arrest are unknown.

Syrian Committee for Human Rights – MAD is calling for the responsible authorities to investigate the death of Mohammed Musto Rashid, and bring the perpetrators to justice.

We condemn the practice of arrest and detention without judicial orders. We condemn torture used against prisoners and detainees, which has become an increasing practice by the security services without the slightest conscience or regard for the texts of covenants and ethical values in conventions that have been signed by the Syrian government. Syrian Committee for Human Rights – MAD calls for these gross violations of human rights to stop, for the lifting of the State of Emergency and the abolition of martial law in the country, and for the release of prisoners of opinion and expression.

Syrian Committee for Human Rights – MAD

al-Raqqa, 11 February 2010