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A
culture oppressed
Even though nearly a tenth of the Syrian population
is Kurdish, they’re not allowed to be taught in
their own language. There are laws against
publishing in Kurdish and playing Kurdish music.
People who celebrate Kurdish cultural events – like
Nawruz, the Kurdish New Year – risk going to prison.
In some state institutions, there are laws against
even talking in Kurdish.
More than 200,000 Kurdish people in Syria are denied
a nationality and passport. These stateless Kurds
are denied some basic economic and social rights.
They aren’t allowed to own a house, land, or a
business. They can’t work as lawyers, journalists,
engineers or doctors. Many are not allowed to study
in school after the age of 14, and often they’re not
allowed treatment in state hospitals.
The violent events of March 2004
Security forces reportedly fired live bullets into
the Kurdish section of the crowd when tensions rose
between rival Arab and Kurdish fans during a
football match in March 2004, in the north-eastern
town of Qamishli. Several people were killed. The
next day, police officers opened fire on a funeral
procession for Kurds killed the previous day.
Subsequent protests and riots across the
Kurdish-populated areas resulted in the deaths of
over 30 Kurdish people and one police officer. Exact
numbers of dead and injured are not known, as there
has been no government investigation into the events
at the stadium, funeral or subsequent protests.
More than 2,000 Kurds were arrested following these
events. Most were held incommunicado at unknown
locations, and there were widespread reports of
torture and ill-treatment of detainees, including
children as young as twelve, teenage girls, women
and the elderly. The reports of torture are not
known to have been investigated.
Neither have there been investigations into the
deaths of five Kurds, who reportedly died after
being tortured and ill-treated in custody. The body
of one of them was delivered to his family with
scars of torture, head injuries, and bruises on his
neck, feet and back.
Hope for the future
Amnesty International calls on the Syrian government
to investigate the events of March 2004 and all
allegations of torture and abuse in custody. The
Syrian government should lift restrictions on
Kurdish culture and end the prohibitions imposed on
Kurdish people living in Syria.
Amnesty International
www.amnesty.org
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