Serêkaniyê- People living in the Serêkaniyê (Ras al-Ayn) city of NE Syria have faced physical and psychological torture by Turkey-backed forces. Lives of women in the city are worse. They cannot even leave their homes. The women who leave their homes never come back. In the city where life has become difficult since October 2019, women react to pressure they have faced. We spoke to some women in the city and they told us they had been tortured. “The whole world should see what is going on here,” the women said.

“An armed group raided my home”

A health care worker H.X. is one of the women who were subjected to torture in custody. An armed group raided her home when her husband wasn’t at home, “My children were terrified when I was detained. They took me out and put me in a car. My children stayed at home and I didn’t know where my husband was. I was taken to a detention center and waited there. A group of men and women were waiting there. I also saw one of my colleagues and I didn’t know why she was taken into custody.”

“Their aim was to insult women”

H.X. was waited in the detention center for more than a week. “The only aim of those who tortured us was to ‘insult women.’ I was imprisoned for a year. I was stripped naked in front of men and faced torture; I was electrocuted, my hands were tied behind my back and suspended by a rope attached to the wrists. My cries were heard everywhere. They battered me until I lost my consciousness.”

Call on international human rights organizations

H.X. was unconscious for two days after the torture she had faced. “The investigation process began when I regained my consciousness. According to them, they should first torture to launch an investigation. They first asked about my profession, my husband’s profession and how many children I have. I answered their questions. At the end of the investigation they asked where I work. I told them I work at the city hospital. Then, they accused me of ‘treating terrorists’. I told them I had to treat everybody. When they heard my answer, they began to batter me. I lost my consciousness again. The whole world should see what is going on here. International human rights organizations should inform the public about the inhumane practices in Serêkaniyê.”

“We didn’t want to die”

29-year-old W.H. was also subjected to torture in custody. She was taken into custody while trying to cross the Syrian-Turkish border with her brother. “We wanted to go to Germany. We didn’t want to die but my brother lost his life. After being taken into custody, the Turkish soldiers handed us over to the members of an armed group. They took our money and personal documents. They tortured my brother in front of me. They took me to a room, where a group of women and children were held.”

“I did feel nothing after my brother died”

After being taken in custody, W.H. insisted on seeing her brother and she could see her brother once. “My brother was in bad condition. They tortured me in front of my brother. After two days, I heard the death of my brother. After my brother died, I did feel nothing even if I was subjected to torture every day. Human right organizations should see what is going on here.”

Her daughter was subjected to torture for seven months

64-year-old F.Ş. told us her 38-year-old daughter Fatima Xelil had been subjected to torture for seven months in custody. “They didn’t allow us to see her. My daughter was sexually harassed and threatened with rape in front of other detainees. She was subjected to torture seven months. She still has scars on her body.”