US imposes sanctions on 2 Turkey-backed Syrian militias and the groups’ leaders
BEIRUT (AP) — The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on two Turkey-backed Syrian militias and the groups’ leaders accused of human rights abuses in Syria’s northwestern, opposition-held enclave.
The groups are operating in the town of Afrin, which has been under Turkish-backed opposition forces since 2018, following an Ankara-backed military operation. That offensive pushed Syrian Kurdish fighters and thousands of Kurdish residents from the area.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned The Suleiman Shah Brigade and The Hamza Division, as well as their leaders, Mohammad Hussein al-Jasim, Walid Hussein al-Jasim, and Sayf Boulad Abu Bakr.
The Suleiman Shah Brigade was accused of abductions and extortion of residents, especially Afrin’s Kurdish residents, to force them to abandon their homes and flee or to “pay large ransoms for return of their property or family members”.
6 months after a devastating earthquake, Turkey’s preparedness is still uncertain
Turkey’s president unwavering on two-state policy to resolve Cyprus’ ethnic division
5 killed in explosion at rocket and explosives factory in Turkey
The Treasury said The Hamza Division was also involved in running detention centers where it held abducted victims for ransom who were tortured and sexually abused.
Mohammad Hussein al-Jasim, who leads The Suleiman Shah Brigade, allegedly ordered his forces to displace Kurdish residents and give their property to Syrians from outside the area “often related” to fighters of the brigade.
The Treasury estimated that al-Jasim was ”likely generating tens of millions of dollars a year” through abductions, confiscations, and ransoms.
Al-Jasim’s Turkey-based car dealership Al-Safir Oto was also listed, because he allegedly invested his money there. According to the announcement, commanders of his brigade managed the dealership’s different branches. It was co-owned by sanctioned militia leader Ahmad Ihsan Fayyad al-Hayes, who heads the Ahrar Al-Sharqiya group.
His younger brother, Walid Hussein al-Jasim, was accused of several cases of sexual assault, as well as killing a prisoner unable to pay ransom in 2020.
Meanwhile, the head of The Hamza Brigades, Sayf Boulad Abu Bakr, was sanctioned for the “brutal repression of the local population.” The statement said he had been involved in the kidnapping of Kurdish women and severely abusing prisoners, sometimes killing them.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
