Off the scales: A Kurdish tale of absent justice in Syria

January 30, 2026

Rima, a Kurdish woman from Afrin, Syria, recounts her family's experiences of being displaced three times over more than a decade of conflict. Their original home in Aleppo's Al-Ashrafiya neighborhood was destroyed in 2013 during fighting, forcing them to flee to Afrin, but they were displaced again in 2018 when Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch. Their Afrin property was subsequently seized by an armed faction member who now demands over $5,000 to vacate, threatening to destroy the house if unpaid, while their attempts to return to Aleppo have been thwarted by renewed attacks and discrimination against Kurds.

Who is affected

Rima (pseudonym) and her immediate family, including her father, mother, two brothers, and sisters
Rima's sister's family, who also lost multiple homes
Kurdish residents of Afrin who have had their properties seized
Kurdish residents of the Al-Ashrafiya and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods in Aleppo
Young Kurdish men in Al-Ashrafiya who face intense scrutiny
The broader Kurdish population from Afrin who have been displaced multiple times

What action is being taken

The armed faction member/General Security service member is occupying Rima's family home in Afrin and periodically contacting her father demanding payment
Two of Rima's family members have returned to their home in Al-Ashrafiya
Rima's sister encounters daily the person who plundered her homes
Authorities or armed groups are subjecting anyone entering the Al-Ashrafiya neighborhood to intense scrutiny, especially young men

Why it matters

This story illustrates the ongoing humanitarian crisis facing displaced Kurds in Syria who have lost their homes multiple times and are unable to reclaim their properties even after regime change. The systematic seizure of Kurdish properties by armed factions, combined with demands for extortion payments and threats of violence, represents a continuation of ethnic discrimination and displacement that leaves families without safe housing options. The situation demonstrates how Kurdish civilians have become trapped between various forces in the Syrian conflict, with their property rights ignored and their safety continuously threatened, creating a cycle of displacement and vulnerability that persists regardless of which groups control different territories.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices