Activists: 370 civilians arrested by SDF in Raqqa since the fall of Assad

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continue their arbitrary arrest campaigns and intimidation policies against activists, revolutionaries and civilians participating in the recent demonstrations in Raqqa province and its countryside, celebrating the fall of the ousted regime of Bashar al-Assad, in addition to the residents’ demands for the SDF to leave the province and its countryside and hand it over to the Military Operations Administration.

The Journalist and local activist Aboud Hamam told Zaman al-Wasl that “the SDF militia has arrested about 370 people since the beginning of the movement in the city of Raqqa and the cities and towns in the countryside of Raqqa province after the fall of the ousted regime of Bashar al-Assad, whether they were activists in the peaceful movement, media activists, revolutionaries or civilians who participated in the peaceful demonstrations.”

Hamam, originally from Raqqa, confirmed that SDF is practicing a policy of intimidation against the people of Raqqa through raids on homes, suppressing demonstrations with bullets, and arbitrary arrests, in addition to imposing a night curfew and stealing electricity transformers, bakeries, and service centers that are the right of the people of the province and its countryside."

Hamam pointed out that "the number of civilian martyrs in Raqqa province since the beginning of the movement until today has reached 10 martyrs, in addition to about 50 wounded, most of whom are civilians, while the SDF militia has deployed flying (temporary) security checkpoints at the entrances to cities, villages, and towns to dismember the province, prevent demonstrations, and carry out arrest campaigns in a systematic manner."

The photojournalist pointed out that "the demands of the people of Raqqa province are represented by the complete withdrawal of the SDF militia from the province, and the return of Raqqa to what it was, free and liberated from any separatist organization, and sharing the joy of victory with the Syrian provinces after the fall of the deposed Bashar al-Assad regime."