Voices for Afrin: The Overlooked Atrocities in Syria
Talk
Afrin, a hilly region in northern Syria, was once famous for its olive groves. With more than 360 Kurdish villages it was historically the most densely Kurdish populated part of Syria. On January 20, 2018 the Turkish army and allied armed militias invaded Syrian Kurdish Afrin. Their so-called military operation ‚Olive Branch‘ lasted for over two months, during which the predominantly Kurdish civilian population not only experienced deadly violence and torture, but was also largely driven from their homes and villages and robbed of their livelihoods. Afrin has been under occupation ever since. And the olive trees so typical of the region are disappearing. They are being cut, stolen or burned.
The human rights organizations European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) and Syrians for Truth and Justice (STJ) have now filed a criminal complaint to address the human rights violations committed by the Turkish-backed armed militias. Accompanied by music, the political activist Sabiha Khalil and Berlin-based lawyer Patrick Kroker will discuss together with the journalist Kristin Helberg about the political situation of Afrin and the ongoing struggle for justice of those affected by the international crimes.
With Sabiha Khalil (Syrian-Kurdish feminist activist), Patrick Kroker (Lawyer, European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights) and Erkan Pehlivan (Journalist)
Moderation Kristin Helberg (Journalist)
Music Wassim Mukdad (Musician, Composer), Neroda Mohamad (Musician)
A co-production of Maxim Gorki Theatre and the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights.
The event will be in English with Arabic and German translation
