Rojava Accuses Turkey of Smuggling ISIS Wives

ISIS wives held at al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria, Asharq Al-Awsat
ISIS wives held at al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria, Asharq Al-Awsat
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Rojava Accuses Turkey of Smuggling ISIS Wives

ISIS wives held at al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria, Asharq Al-Awsat
ISIS wives held at al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria, Asharq Al-Awsat

The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, also known as Rojava, accused Turkey of smuggling and receiving ISIS members and their families and supporting the terror group’s cells while crippling the counter-ISIS efforts of the international coalition and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Abdulkarim Omar, co-chair of the Foreign Relations Commission of the Rojava, stressed that Turkey’s admission to smuggling a Moldavian ISIS wife and her four children represents hard evidence that the country is involved with extremist cells.

The SDF had captured 24 individuals suspected of being ISIS recruits as part of its second phase of countering terror.

The Rojava, in a statement, pointed out to documented evidence that confirms Turkey’s involvement with ISIS.

In its statement, the Rojava said that Ankara helping save a Moldavian woman and her children from al-Hol camp is dangerous evidence that Turkey continues to seek revitalizing ISIS in the region.

The Turkish intelligence had “freed” the woman and her four children from the camp, where ISIS wives and family members are held in northeastern Syria, Anadolu reported on July 17.

The Turkish state-run agency claimed that the woman, “Natalia Barkal,” had traveled to Syria with her husband and children in 2013 to “do business.”

Anadolu didn’t clarify what type of business would take an entire family to a war-torn country. The identity of her husband or his whereabouts also were not disclosed.

According to Turkey’s claims, Barkal and her four children were illegally held in al-Hol by Kurdish forces. The Turkish intelligence “freed” them upon an official request from Moldavian authorities.

Al-Hol, which is located in eastern al-Hasakah, is hosting 67,000 people, including 40,000 family members of ISIS fighters. An entire section of the camp is dedicated for foreign wives of ISIS terrorists.

The camp is run by the US-backed SDF.

Omar, for his part, said that all women who escaped the camp had headed towards Turkey. According to investigations into women who attempted escaping, they were planning to head to Turkey.

SDF authorities at the camp thwarted the attempt of four women to escape with their children two days ago.



French Prosecutors Seek New Arrest Warrant against Bashar Assad

A bullet-riddled portrait of Syria's Bashar al-Assad adorns Hama's municipality following the city's capture by opposition forces on December 6, 2024. (AFP)
A bullet-riddled portrait of Syria's Bashar al-Assad adorns Hama's municipality following the city's capture by opposition forces on December 6, 2024. (AFP)
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French Prosecutors Seek New Arrest Warrant against Bashar Assad

A bullet-riddled portrait of Syria's Bashar al-Assad adorns Hama's municipality following the city's capture by opposition forces on December 6, 2024. (AFP)
A bullet-riddled portrait of Syria's Bashar al-Assad adorns Hama's municipality following the city's capture by opposition forces on December 6, 2024. (AFP)

French prosecutors said Monday they have requested a new arrest warrant against Syria's ousted President Bashar al-Assad over a deadly 2013 chemical attacks after a previous one was cancelled, AFP reported.

It is now up to investigating magistrates to decide whether to issue the new warrant.

French investigators have since 2021 been looking into a suspected Syrian government sarin gas attack that killed more than 1,000 people, according to US intelligence, on August 4 and 5, 2013, in the areas of Adra and Douma outside Damascus.

The Court of Cassation, France’s highest court, on Friday ruled there were no exceptions to presidential immunity, even for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, annulling a French warrant against Assad issued in 2023 when he was still leader.

It however added that, as Assad, who was toppled in December, was no longer president, new warrants could be issued and the French investigation could continue.

In November 2023, the French judiciary issued an arrest warrant against Assad on charges of complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes, in connection with the chemical attacks attributed to the Syrian government under his rule.

The French judiciary tackled the case under the principle of universal jurisdiction, whereby a court may prosecute individuals for serious crimes committed in other countries.

An investigation – based on testimonies of survivors and military defectors, as well as photos and video footage – led to warrants for the arrest of Assad, his brother Maher – then head of the Syrian army's fourth division – and two generals, Ghassan Abbas and Bassam al-Hassan.

Public prosecutors approved three of the warrants, but issued an appeal against the one targeting Assad, arguing he should have immunity as a head of state.

The Paris Court of Appeal in June last year however upheld it, and prosecutors again appealed.

Assad and his family fled to Russia, according to Russian authorities, after opposition fighters seized power on December 8.

Another French warrant is already out for Assad's arrest, issued in January for suspected complicity in war crimes for a bombing in the Syrian city of Daraa in 2017 that killed a French-Syrian civilian.