CENTRAL NEWS
The Tevgera Ciwanên Şoreşger movement shared an open-letter addressed to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights after the observatory shard yet another article accusing the young people of abducting people.
The youth movement, after demanding an apology from the Observatory in a previous letter, stated that the SOHR is targeting the reputation of the young people. The youth demanded that the Observatory either proves its accusations are true, which it is responsible for, or it removes the articles fabricated with baseless accusations. The letter is as follows:
“To the SOHR management,
On the 9th of November (09.10.2020), we came across unfounded news about our Revolutionary Youth Movement on the official website of SOHR. In the content of the news in question, it was claimed that members of our Revolutionary Youth Movement in Syria have kidnapped children or young people, and is forcing them to take part in the army.
We reject these baseless, inaccurate and untrue accusations. We shared an addressed letter to you before, regarding the same issue. As the Revolutionary Youth Movement in Syria, we have not abducted anyone nor do we have any interest in committing such crimes.
Officially, only the Syrian Democratic Forces conducts military activities in North-East Syria. The SDF is responsible for all military activities being carried out in the area.
As in every country in the world, there is a law on conscription in North-East Syria. There is nothing unnatural or extraordinary about this. There is nothing more natural than the Autonomous Administration and the SDF calling every young person over the age of 18 to protect their country. This cannot be criminalized.
Except for the conscription service, there is no other possibility of being involved in the military. Moreover, the North East Syria Autonomous Administration and the SDF have officially signed the Geneva Convention on this very basis.
As the Revolutionary Youth movement, we assumed the SOHR to be an international, independent, and impartial non-governmental organization and an organization that defends human rights. But unfortunately, we have seen that this is not the case since these baseless accusations against our Youth movement.
SOHR must pull back the articles containing such accusations against our youth movement. Otherwise, SOHR has the responsibility to prove that these accusations are correct. In the case that these claims cannot be proved true, the SOHR must either correct or pull back the articles containing accusations. Otherwise, the reputation and reliability of the SOHR will be damaged.
Finally, we call on all segments of society to be wary of to these defamation campaigns being run against our youth movement. Again, we also want the Autonomous Administration of North-East Syria and the SDF to do the necessary research and to clarify these issues and unfounded allegations against our youth movement.”
Ciwanên Şoreşger: “SOHR Must apologise for spreading fabricated information”
