Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Suspicious death of a Kurdish soldier in Syria

24 August 2010

A Kurdish soldier serving in the Syrian Army reported to have died in a suspicious way.

A Kurdish soldier serving in the Syrian Army reported to have died in a suspicious way. While the Syrian army officials stated that 19-year old Şiyar Osman who has been doing his military service for 8 months committed suicide on 22 August, Human Rights Committee has reported that Osman was shot in stomach.

Like the Turkish army, Syrian army is also reporting that Kurdish soldiers to lose their lives due to “suicide”, “traffic accident” or “electricity shock”. While the families are not satisfied with the official statements, the bodies given to the families have scars and bullet holes. The officials also fail to investigate the suspicious death incidents.

Since the beginning of this year at least 6 Kurdish youth serving mandatory military service lost their lives by committing suicide. The number of these suspicious deaths since 2009 reached 26. However, the Syrian officials fail to conduct a proper investigation regarding death incidents.

At least Kurdish soldiers died in August, both under suspicious circumstances. On 12 August another Kurdish soldier Mistefa Ebdo from Dêrik was also reported to have committed suicide. 

On 30 May another Kurdish soldier Hesen Mihemed Dero also died in a suspicious way. The family reported that there were torture scars on their son’s body and his head was partially smashed. 

40 suspicious death incidents since 2004


According to the ANF records while 20 Kurdish soldiers died under suspicious circumstances last year the number of such incidents since the beginning of this year reached 6. According to the figures released by Human Rights Committee and KCK-Rojava at least 40 Kurdish soldiers doing military service died since 2004.

ANF / AMSTERDAM

ANF NEWS AGENCY