[Download the Statement in pdf]
In February 2025, the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (PPT) heard shocking evidence of the Turkish assaults on Rojava, north and east Syria, over at least seven years – the targeted destruction, occupation and Turkification of Kurdish homes, fields, olive groves, archaeological heritage, villages, cities and towns, whose aim was the eradication of the Kurdish identity, presence and culture. The Tribunal concluded in its judgment of March 2025 that President Erdogan and senior ministers and generals were guilty of international crimes of aggression, war crimes, crimes against humanity and severe violations of human rights, indicative of the dolus specialis of genocide.
Now, new information reported in the media, documented by independent institutions and submitted directly to the PPT, indicates that attacks in north and east Syria have once again intensified. The siege imposed on Kurdish-populated areas of Aleppo, particularly the neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh; indiscriminate artillery, rocket and drone attacks; the direct targeting of hospitals and medical personnel; the obstruction of access to basic humanitarian needs – together constitute urgent, life-threatening dangers to the safety and survival of the Kurdish population living in the affected areas.
The killing, injury, and mass displacement of civilians, including many women and children, reinforce concerns that these attacks are planned and form part of a sustained pattern, giving rise to a strong suspicion that acts prohibited under international law are being committed. The available documentation suggests that HTS-affiliated groups, individuals currently or previously operating within ISIS ranks, as well as armed proxy forces operating with Turkey’s military, logistical, intelligence and operational support and under its effective control, have played a direct or indirect role in these violations, indicating that international legal responsibility arises under the principles of command responsibility. This was also a finding reached by the Tribunal in its March 2025 judgment.
The designation of civilian neighbourhoods as “military zones,” the rendering of medical facilities inoperable, and the obstruction of humanitarian assistance demonstrate not merely violations of existing agreements and protocols aimed at protecting civilians and limiting hostilities in the region, but a deliberate disregard for the fundamental obligation to protect civilians.
These developments reinforce the Tribunal’s findings of grave breaches of international human rights, humanitarian and criminal laws, and must be examined within the framework of war crimes and crimes against humanity. In light of this legal framework, we call upon international legal institutions, human rights organisations, United Nations mechanisms, states, and peoples to act without delay in response to these grave violations ongoing in Rojava. The continuation of impunity increases the risk of further crimes. The immediate activation of independent monitoring mechanisms, the identification of those responsible, and the effective protection of civilians are obligations that can no longer be postponed.
January 2026
The PPT Panel of Judges of the 54° session on Rojava vs. Turkey
Frances Webber (UK), President
Giacinto Bisogni (Italy)
Domenico Gallo (Italy)
José Elías Esteve Molto (Spain)
Czarina Golda S. Musni (The Philippines)
Gabrielle Lefèvre (Belgium)
Rashida Manjoo (South Africa)
The PPT General Secretariat
Simona Fraudatario (Italy)
Gianni Tognoni (Italy)
