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On August 17, the United States imposed sanctions on two Turkish-backed Syrian armed groups and a number of their leaders over human rights violations.
In a statement, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said that 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 were sanctioned.
The two groups are based in the northern Syrian area of Afrin, which has been under Turkish occupation since 2018. Most of the areas’ Kurdish population were displaced and violations against remaining Kurds there are reported on a regular basis.
The Treasury accused the Suleiman Shah Brigade of abductions and extortion of Afrin residents, especially Kurds, to force them to abandon their homes and flee or to “pay large ransoms for return of their property or family members”.
All-Jasim, who leads the Suleiman Shah Brigade, ordered his forces to displace Kurdish residents and give their property to Syrians from outside the area “often related” to fighters of the brigade, according to the Treasury.
It is estimated that al-Jasim was ”likely generating tens of millions of dollars a year” through abductions, confiscations, and ransoms.
Al-Safir Oto, a Turkey-based car dealership owned by al-Jasim, was also sanctioned. The Treasury said that al-Jasim invested his money in the dealership, which is managed by commanders from his group. It was also noted that the dealership was co-owned by sanctioned militia leader Ahmad Ihsan Fayyad al-Hayes, who heads the Turkish-backed Ahrar al-Sharqiya group.
Al-Jasim younger brother, Walid Hussein al-Jasim, was accused by the Treasury of several cases of sexual assault, as well as killing a prisoner unable to pay ransom in 2020.
Meanwhile, the Hamza Division was accused of running detention centers where it held abducted victims for ransom who were tortured and sexually abused.
The group leader Sayf Boulad Abu Bakr was sanctioned for the “brutal repression of the local population.” The Treasury also said that he was involved in the kidnapping of Kurdish women and severely abusing prisoners, sometimes killing them.
“Today’s action demonstrates our continued dedication to promoting accountability for perpetrators of human rights abuses, including in Syria,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “The United States is committed to supporting the Syrian people’s ability to live without fear of exploitation from armed groups and without fear of violent repression.”
It’s worth noting that the two groups sanctioned by the U.S. are both members of the so-called Syrian National Army, a coalition that rules over Turkish-occupied areas in northern and eastern Syria. Ankara remains silent on the repeated violations by its proxies.
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