Hilal OZTURK- Necati Bugra BENLIOGLU/AFRIN, (DHA) - DAESH terrorists’ trial process was closely monitored in Afrin, where the region was cleared off PKK/YPG terrorist organization after the Olive Branch Operation.
In Afrin, where the region was put in safety 1,5 years ago following the successful operation carried out by TSK and OSO, 24 judges and prosecutors who are citizens of Kurdish and Arab nationalities, are currently prosecuting members of the DAESH terrorist organization of being a ‘terrorist’ under Syrian laws,
During the period when the terrorist organization PKK / YPG occupied the region, where there were so called hearings and the basement floors were being used as prison cells, Afrin Courthouse is now transformed into a courthouse building in contemporary standards.
Accompanied by their lawyers, DAESH and PKK / YPG terrorists are put in trial in Afrin Courthouse under international laws.
DAESH terrorist Abdullah El Fera, who is currently under investigation, said “I joined DAESH in 2014. I am from Aleppo. I heard the death of Baghdadi. The death of Baghdadi would finish DAESH, there is very little left of it anyway”.
There are seven courthouses in the Olive Branch Operation region in total in addition to Afrin in Cinderes, Raco, Bulbul, Mabatlı, Seran ve Sheikh Hadid villages. However, the heavy penal court where terror offenders are put in trial is situated in Afrin, at Afrin Courthouse. DAESH terrorists are being put in trial in these courts.
The investigation files prepared by the prosecutors are first examined by the investigating judges and then sent to tender judges. The investigation file is turned into a court case by the tender judges, and the proceedings are carried out in the criminal courts, also known as murder courts in the region.
‘I HAVE LIVED WITH THE SUICIDE VEST ON ME, I WAS READY TO DIE WITH MY CHILDREN”
Zeyneb Diman and Rejaa Diab, who were caught while trying to reach Afrin from Tel Rifat region, were detained and brought to Afrin Courthouse. Interrogated by the investigating judge, Zeyneb Diman, one of the DAESH female terrorists, said that her husband was killed 9 months ago during the clash in the Buhus region of Aleppo and that she was hiding in a refugee camp in that area.
She confessed that she had been hiding for a long time with the suicide vest under the pressure of the terrorist organization and that if she was caught, she would detonate the bomb and kill herself and her two children. She said she was carrying the pistol which was on her when she was detained, to protect herself.
SHE WALKED FREE IN YPG DISTRICT AND ARRESTED IN AFRIN
After the siege of Raqqa by the terrorist organization PKK / YPG, Zeynep Diman said she and her sisters had crossed into the northern countryside of Aleppo and went to Munbij, where she was arrested with her brother at the Afrin checkpoint.
She confessed that she is a member of the cruel terrorist organization DAESH, and that she was involved through his father and married a terrorist within the organization. She told the court that she was present in Mesken, Raqqa, Deyr Zor, Haseke region in Syria. During the interrogation, the female terrorist, who was gathering attention due to her cold-blooded nature, became uncomfortable after DHA's recording and covered her eyes, which were barely visible in her burqa.
FEMALE TERRORIST DEMANDED MERCY IN PRISON
Rejaa Diab, who was detained on charges of being a member of the terrorist organization DAESH, answered DHA's questions while she was being held in the custody at the courthouse. Rejaa Diab, who approached the iron fence on call of guards, denied the allegations of being member of DAESH. The female terrorist who claimed that she had no ties with DAESH claimed that she had DAESH members in her family and that she only moved with her father and brothers, she was taken into custody because they were members of DAESH. DAESH terrorist Rejaa Diab said she regrets it.
LAWYERS ATTEND TO TRIALS, WITNESSES ARE HEARD
Members of the terrorist organization DAESH, who are put in trial at the Murder Courts, are attending to hearings with their lawyers. Afrin Bar Association appoints lawyers to those who cannot afford a lawyer. The defendants, who are provided with the full use of their defense rights, can also call witnesses during the trial.
The DHA team also followed the trial of two male detainees on charges of being members of the terrorist organization DAESH. The local police force brought the handcuffed defendants to the court room with security measures, they wanted to hear witnesses who would testify in favor of them. Witnesses were brought to the courtroom and before making a statement, they swore by the Qur'an. They claimed that they are not members of DAESH and they were fighting againts it. However, the President of the Murder Court asked the witnesses the evidence in the file and investigated the accuracy of the allegations. The gaps between the evidence and the witness statements were questioned by the President of the Murder Court.
THERE ARE 161 TERRORIST IN THE AFRIN PRISON
The detainees who are under trial, and the adjudicated terrorists of DAESH and PKK / YPG are held in Afrin Prison where an empty building expropriated by the Local Assembly was reorganized and turned into a prison.
Syrian guards are working in the prison, which is guarded by the local police. There are 270 prisoners and convicts in prison, 18 DAESH prisoners of 13 detainees, 5 convicts and 91 PKK prisoners of 67 detainees and 24 convicts, a total of 161 terrorist offenders are being held in the facility. In the Euphrates Shield Operation area, there are 52 prisoners, 116 detainees in total of 168 DAESH prisoner, 46 prisoners, 215 detainees in total of 261 PKK / YPG prisoners in prisons in Jarablus, Çobanbey, Al Bab and Azez districts. The nationalities of the DAESH prisoners are 147 Syria, 3 Saudi Arabia, 2 Tunisia, 1 Egypt, 1 Jordan, 1 Algeria, 1 Pakistan, 4 Iraq, 1 Azerbaijan and 7 Russian citizens. The prison also includes the children of 3 female DAESH detainees.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS ARE APPLIED AT MAXIMUM LEVEL
The security measures in the prison are also at maximum level. The prisoners leave their wards under the supervision of guards, and when they return, they go through a full body search. The prisoners are handcuffed while they are taken to the courthouse for hearings. When the prisoners are brought back to prison, they pass through the door with a detector and the body scan is done by hand and after they are taken to their wards.
'BAGDADI'S DEATH FINISHES DAESH'
DHA team made exclusive interviews with the brutal terrorist organization DAESH detainees and convicts in Afrin Prison. DAESH detainees and convicts told DHA that they heard the news of Baghdadi. Some DAESH terrorists commented, "Baghdadi's death finishes DAESH", while ome DAESH terrorists did not hide their regrets. Two Tajikistan nationality terrorists told that the cruel organization provides members through social media.
YPG/DAESH PARTNERSHIP WAS CONFESSED
Ferdos SUYIFIS, a terrorist from DAESH, said that he had met with the PKK/YPG in Raqqa, but never fought agains to them. However, the most important argument of the USA in their efforts to protect the PKK / YPG was the claim that they fought against DAESH. Yet, this confession of the DAESH terrorist revealed that both terrorist organizations did not fight against each other. The terrorist insisted on referring ’PKK/ YPG’ as PKK terrorist organization drew attention.
Ferdos Suyifis, a terrorist from DEASH, told the DHA reporter: “I became a member of DAESH in 2015. I reached out by phone from Tajikistan. I got news of Baghdadi’s death. I met with the terrorist organization PKK / YPG in Raqqa, but I never fought against them. The PKK is an organization that follows the orders of the United States, acts on their behalf and massacres innocent people”.
‘THE DEATH OF BAGHDADI FINISHES DAESH’
Ihsan Babayev, one of the terrorists from DAESH, said, "I joined DAESH in 2015. I contacted them from Tajikistan through their website. I heard the news of Baghdadi's death. I've never met Baghdadi. I know him from his videos. DAESH ends after Baghdadi's death”.
Abdullah Al Fera, a terrorist from DAESH, said, "I joined DAESH in 2014. I am from Aleppo. I have joined DAESH because they were in Syria. I've contacted them through their website. I didn't know Baghdadi, but his death would have end DAESH, and there is very little left of it anyways”.
‘DAESH PAID 500 DOLLARS TO TERRORISTS’
Osman Muhammed, a doctor who is also a terrorist, said that he joined DAESH in 2016 and continued: “A friend of mine, a doctor like me, asked me to come to Syria and help the people in war. I knew Daesh was there, but I came to Idlib to help people during war. Then I went to Raqqa and worked there. They were paying me $ 500. I treated both civilians and wounded DAESH people. I had nothing to do with guns. I wanted to get out when I saw the massacres they did, but they wouldn't let me. Not all of those who joined DAESH were forced to stay there, but those who wanted to quit were not allowed. There were people from all countries in the world, French and British. Some came to help others for war. Some of them came for the money, some came with their family. Everyone's idea was different. I regret that I reluctantly joined DAESH. I was sentenced to 7 years in prison in the Afrin court. If they give me a chance, I'd like continue to be a doctor and help people”.
THEY WERE CAUGHT WITH DRONE-MADE VIDEOS
3 women of Russian nationality are in custody along with their DEASH member children in women’s ward in Afrin Prison. Despite DEASH member women’s denial of being a member of organization, it was learned that drone-made videos seized them in their underwear. There are total 10 children in the prison, including a child who was born there.
THE IDEA OF DEASH CANNOT BE DESTROYED WITHOUT DESTROYING THE ORGANIZATION FIRSTLY
DHA team also contacted with prosecutors of DEASH members. Afrin Chief Prosecutor Muhammed Seir (Zeydan) and President of the High Criminal Court Muhammed Seif gave insight on how the trials are conducted. Afrin Chief Prosecutor Muhammed Seir (Zeydan), responded the question about which laws were implemented at the trials in Syria as follows: “We are implementing Syrian laws at courthouses in the regions of Operation Olive Branch and Operation Euphrayes Shield. We are conducting trials concerning DEASH and YPG members as follows: Files are sent from security unit to prosecution office. After evaluating them, prosecutors send the files to investigating magistrate. The duty of the investigating magistrate is to send the evidences they gathered to tender jugdes. Later, tender judges send the files to the high criminal court. Then, high criminal courts conduct the trials. If the DEASH members committed murder, they are sentenced to prison up to 15 to 20 years. If they did not commit murder, however they joined the terror organization and helped the organization, then they are sentenced to prison up to 5 to 7 years.”
Seir (Zeydan) said that there are many members of DAESH from other countries and added “We see that most of the defendants in our files come from foreign countries. DAESH members came from Russia, Ukraine, Algeria and Morrocco. Most say they’re not involved in murder but they joined DAESH ideologically. There are some who want to return their countries”.
Attorney General Seir (Zeydan), explained that some DAESH terrorists are very regretful, but some keep their opinion as it is. Also as a lawyer, he disagreed on the assessment of DAESH is nearing its end. Seir commented: “The danger of DAESH does not end until the idea is over. DAESH is thought to have ended in Syria, in the east of the Euphrates, but we see that there are also leaks in Idlib and Afrin. So they are trying to settle here. But it is early for such a thought”.
“The situation of the PKK / YPG terrorist organization, has had an impact on people since it has been dominant there for 5 years. Oppressed or voluntarily, those who have been forced into arms, those employed in mandatory positions hate the terrorist organization PKK/YPG and consider it as hostile. But some have sympathy for the organization. They still think that the YPG will return. However, I think that after the Peace Spring Operation, these people lost their hopes about the terrorist organization PKK/YPG. I think they will lose even more influence in the coming days” said Seir (Zeydan) evaluating the situation of the terrorist organization PKK/YPG in the region.
“Since there is oil and gas in the east of the Euphrates, people think that foreign powers lead the organizations in that region” said Seir (Zeydan), specifying that the PKK/YPG's effort to keep the oil regions under control was noticed by the people of the region.
IF WE DON'T USE THE RIGHT TO DEFENSE, OUR JUDGMENT WILL BE WASTED
“Of course, defense is essential. The most basic right of an accused is defense. If he doesn't have the money to hire a lawyer, we're appointing lawyers from the bar. If we cannot appoint a lawyer as the High Criminal Court, all the proceedings we make will be wasted” The President of the Assize Court Muhammed Seif stated that the terrorist organization DAESH attended the hearings with their lawyers.
“But we do not take the statements of these defendants into account in particular. Because if a person comes from Russia, Ukraine or Europe, he has placed this ideology in his head, and he comes here. But we believe that the regret is sincere with the view that the local people have been deceived in some way, that they are under the influence of DAESH and that they are forced” Seif said that among DAESH, especially those who come from foreign countries say that they are regretful.
“In a file I was looking at, 10 defendants came from Russia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan. They were begging me at every trial; ‘Do not send us to our country, they will execute us.’ However, we have sentenced them all to 7 years imprisonment. According to the laws of Syria, all of them will be returned to their countries after the verdict is finalized” said Seif stating that some defendants do not want to be extradited to their country. “PKK/YPG and DAESH are terrorist organizations. The law we apply in Syria is the same for both organizations. In the files of PKK/YPG members, some defendants participated in the crime but escaped. We are forced because there are no extradition of the defendants who fled to the YPG area. We can't bring them here and judge them” said Seif and added that the same laws, which was applied to DAESH members, will be implemented to PKK/YPG members as well.