Turkish occupation authorities in northern Syria arrest Syrian protesters, charge them with insulting Turkish state

EDLEB, Syria — The Turkish occupation authorities in northern Syria continue their arbitrary policies and arrest campaigns to suppress the presence of local populations in the areas they occupy, aiming to expand their control.

The Violations Documentation Center reported that Turkish intelligence forces kidnapped a group of Syrian young men from the occupied Syrian regions due to their participation in protests against the Turkish occupation after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made public comments hinting at re-establishing ties with the Assad regime. These individuals were transferred to Turkish prisons and charged with harming Turkish national security and insulting the Turkish state and its symbols, in violation of international law.

According to the Violations Documentation Center, the detained young men were coerced into making declarations of remorse under humiliating conditions.

The first group, consisting of 12 Syrian young men, was transported in Turkish military vehicles under heavy guard, accompanied by factions of the Turkish proxy Syrian National Army (SNA).

The families of these kidnapped young men are living in fear, unaware of their children’s whereabouts and fearing that the Turkish authorities might eliminate them on charges of insulting the Turkish flag during the demonstrations.