Lawyers, legal scholars, and human rights experts released a joint appeal urging the relevant international institutions to act promptly in the fulfilment of their legal responsibilities in the face of the violations of international law in Rojava.
The joint statement reads as follows:
“We, the undersigned lawyers, legal scholars, and human rights experts representing various jurisdictions, hereby convey our profound concern regarding the ongoing violations of international law in North and East Syria (Rojava).
Extensive credible evidence indicates that forces aligned with the Syrian transitional government are working together with armed groups affiliated with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Their operations against civilians are marked by severe brutality, such as beheadings, kidnappings, assaults on medical staff, and intentional destruction of civilian infrastructure. Cities are being surrounded, escape routes blocked, and civilians forcibly displaced, resulting in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries.
These acts provide substantial and well-founded evidence of crimes against humanity and war crimes, breaching fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Additionally, detention centres holding tens of thousands of individuals affiliated with the so-called Islamic State have fallen under the control of these forces, with reports of large-scale releases, thereby posing a serious threat to international peace and security.
The ongoing silence and lack of action from the international community are deeply troubling. Failing to respond to these crimes could weaken the role of international law by allowing impunity to go unchallenged.
As members of the legal profession, we therefore call for:
1. The immediate cessation of the military offensive against Rojava; and
2. The recognition and protection of Rojava’s legal and political status in accordance with international law.
We urge the relevant international institutions to act promptly in the fulfilment of their legal responsibilities.”
SIGNATORIES
Legal Organizations
1) Asociación Venezolana de Juristas
2) CRED/ GILI (Center of Elaboration and Research on Democracy/ Group of International Legal Intervention)
3) Cyprus Democratic Lawyers Association
4) Defend International Law
5) ELDH (European Association of Lawyers for Democracy & World Human Rights)
6) Giuristi Democratici – Italia
7) IACTA COOPERATIVA DE ABOGADAS
8) Italian Democratic Lawyers
9) MAF-DAD e.V. (Association for Democracy and International Law)
10) Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal
11) Red Jurídica S. Coop. Mad.
Lawyers
Alejandro Gámez Selma
Altamira Guelbenzu
Anni Pues
Anna Magdalena Busl
Antoni Mansilla Jacas
Antonia Plettenberg
Antonino Fava
Astrid Boxberg
Aurora d’Agostino
Ayhan Sacik
Ayşe Acar Başaran
Ayşe Bingöl Demir
Barbara Porta
Barbara Spinelli
Begoña C Ríos
Bent Endresen
Besra Güler
Bill Bowring
Birgit Landgraf
Carlo Cappellari
Carmella Maria Cordaro
Christoph Geisler
Chrysovalanti Altiparmaki
Chiara Riverso
Clemens Lahner
Donatella Ianelli
Efstathios Efstathiou
Elia De Caro
Elvira Landin Aguierre
Emma Salomonsson
Esther Lora
Evelyn Dürmayer
Ezio Menzione
Fabio Marcelli
Farzad Fallah
Faustino Barriugin Fernandez
Florian Bohsung
Frances Webber
Francesca Cancelaro
Gianni Tognoni
Giovanna Erica Venegas Benavides
Giovanna Michelon
Giovanni Russo Spena
Guillermo Presa Suárez
Hans Gaasbeck
Heike Geisweid
Heinz-Günther Meiwes
Ilaria Guberti
Ioanna Kourtovik
Irene Alvarez Fernandez
Jana Goebel
Jean-Philippe de Wind
Jose Luis Galan
Juan Mantilla
Laura D’Amico
Levent Pişkin
Lorraine Leete
Lorenza Cescatti
Luigi Ficarra
Lukas Teune
Mahmut Şakar
Marcin Rau
Markus Wild
Maria Hernandez
Maria Galan Lopez
Marta Sartori
Margherita D’Andrea
Massimiliano Stiz
Matias Movilla Garcia
Metin Gun
Miran Kakaee
Monica Miserocchi
Nina Pirooz
Özgür Başaran
Rachel Crass
Raquel Crespo Castro
Rengin Ergül
Rina Ajeti
Roberto Brizio
Rocco Marcello Balsano
Rodolfo Bettiol
Rojda Arslan
Roland Meister
Dr. Sabine Mock
Samuel Boehms
Sandra Garrido Fernández
Sarah Benscheidt
Saskia Piotrowski
Serife Ceren Uysal
Simone Bisacca
Simonetta Crisci
Stefania Gerbino
Stefano Bigliazzi
Stefano Francesco Maria Mannironi
Stefano Zirulia
Thomas Schmidt
Tomas Fridh
Tove Järborg
Valentina Pieri
Vicky Aggelidou
Wendy Lyon
Yener Sözen