A source for ARK: Al-Amshat is holding demonstrations condemning the US sanctions and forcing the Kurds to participate

ARK News… Al-Amshat gunmen, today, August 20, 2023, forced the Kurds to close shops in Shiye town and its villages in Afrin, Syrian Kurdistan, with the aim of denouncing the US sanctions imposed on some of the leaders of the armed factions.

A source from the town said that the gunmen forced the residents to participate in marches in response to the US Treasury's decision to impose sanctions on the al-Hamzat and al-Amshat factions.

The source confirmed that the aforementioned faction staged demonstrations yesterday also in the town, denouncing the sanctions.

The US Treasury imposed sanctions on leaders of the armed factions affiliated with the National Army due to human rights violations against civilians in the Afrin region of Syrian Kurdistan, including Muhammad al-Jassem "Abu Amsha", the leader of the Suleiman Shah faction, and Saif Boulad Abu Bakr, the leader of the Hamza Division.

The US Treasury published, in an official statement on Thursday, August 17, 2023, that it imposed sanctions on three leaders of the armed factions for committing grave human rights violations in Afrin.

The US sanctions included the Al-Safir Oto Company, which is run by the leader of the Suleiman Shah faction, "Abu Amsha," in addition to Walid Hussein al-Jassem, the younger brother of Abu Amsha, who also occupies a leadership role in the Suleiman Shah Brigade.

The US Treasury indicated that the Al-Safir Oto Company is also co-managed by the leader of the Ahrar al-Sharqiya faction.

The sanctions also included the leader of the Ahrar al-Sharqiya faction, which was previously classified on "terror lists", according to the US Treasury statement.

"Today's action demonstrates our continued commitment to advancing accountability for perpetrators of human rights abuses, including in Syria," said Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson.

"The United States is committed to supporting the ability of the Syrian people to live without fear of exploitation by armed groups and without fear of violent repression," he stressed.

The armed factions committed many violations in the Afrin region, such as imposing royalties, arresting civilians under false pretexts, forcing them to pay the ransom for their release, and committing many massacres, such as the Jenderes massacre on the night of the last Newroz holiday, and many other violations.

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