Final declaration of the Workshop Against ISIS demands support for Autonomous Administration

A workshop on “the struggle against ISIS and the fate of the arrested ISIS members” was held in Sulaymaniyah, and was promoted by the Northern and Eastern Syria Autonomous Administration and Rojava Support Group. Some 160 lawyers and legal experts from all over Kurdistan, Europe and the Middle East attended the workshop.

The outcome of the workshop is as follows:

“The aim of this workshop was to inform the United Nations, the Kurdistan Region Parliament, Iraq and all responsible parties about the ISIS threat.

We call on all regional and global parties and forces to support the Autonomous Administration and the Syrian Democratic Forces fighting against ISIS, and to find an urgent solution to the ISIS prisoners in Sina Prison and their families in the camps.

‘ISIS is a threat to the whole world’

The main items highlighted in the workshop were as follows:

* The latest attack on Hesekê Sina Prison shows that ISIS has the power to act and threatens the whole world.

*International powers should support the monitoring and inspection of prisons according to international prison standards. This needs to be done so that the situation in Hesekê does not happen again.

* A court must be established in the Autonomous Administration region for the trial of ISIS mercenaries.

‘The Autonomous Administration should be supported’

* Work should be carried out to favour the return of ISIS families to their countries. Support should also be provided to the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria for the search for a legal solution.

* Taking into account the economic situation in the Autonomous Region, the Kayseri Agreement should be taken into consideration. That’s why the secret cells of ISIS take advantage of the situation and take action.

* The Autonomous Administration should be supported in order to improve the situation of the people. A good program should be prepared to reintegrate women and children into society.

* The regions occupied by the Turkish state have become the headquarters and military bases of ISIS. Regional powers and parties should put pressure on the Turkish state to leave these regions.

* Turkey is creating chaos in Syria, the region and generally in Northern and Eastern Syria by using ISIS. It is important to build a strong international response to counter this.

* A two-way legal solution must be found for the situation of ISIS in the region. A correct discussion must be carried out in Syria and a solution must be found.

* There should be political and economic cooperation between the Kurdistan Region and the Autonomous Administration. Again, Rojava and South Kurdistan should wage a joint struggle against the ISIS threat.

‘Support must be provided for the return of the people to Shengal’

* The situation in Shengal should also be addressed. Security support should be provided for the return of the people to Shengal. After that, efforts should be made to provide material and moral assistance to Shengal.

* It is important to ensure cooperation between the Syrian Democratic Forces and Iraqi forces on both sides of the border in order to reduce the movement of ISIS in the region and to protect the interests of both sides.

* More pressure should be put on the international community to open the border gates of Til Koçer and Rebie to solve the economic problem and the humanitarian situation.”