On February 7, 2025, we, the Civil Movement of DHR (Deir ez-Zor, Hasakah, Raqqa), announce the formation of our initiative, uniting civil activists and academics committed to resisting the occupation of our Syrian provinces by the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Through dedicated efforts, we have issued a comprehensive statement in Arabic, which has been widely shared across social media platforms. An English version of the statement was released on February 8, 2025, to ensure broader accessibility.
After careful consideration, we have chosen to disclose the names of some of our signatories to enhance transparency and credibility. However, due to security concerns, many supporters have preferred to remain anonymous, as outlined below. We urge readers to engage with the statement in full, recognizing that it represents the collective peaceful work of a committed team striving for the liberation of our provinces from occupation.
Below, we present the statement along with a list of signatories and relevant links that document the crimes and violations committed by the SDF against the innocent people of Deir ez-Zor, Hasakah, and Raqqa:

Open Statement and Call for Support

We announce the formation of the civil movement of DHR (Deir ez-Zor, Hasakah, Raqqa) with the aim of peaceful activism to end the occupation of our provinces (Deir ez-Zor, Hasakah, Raqqa) by the SDF militia (Syrian Democratic Forces) and eliminating injustice and marginalization of our area. We issue the following statement, which is based on verified facts and reliable English-language sources available to all on the Internet and corroborated by eyewitness testimonies from the ground. We reject any attempts by this militia to separate our region from Syria, and their labeling of our region as "Rojava" or any such similar divisive geopolitical terminology. We also reject the neglect, stereotyping, and marginalization of the region and its Arab majority. We completely reject any negotiations between the Syrian state and the separatist SDF – which lacks any form of legitimacy – if they come at the expense of our indigenous rights as a fundamental part of this region. We see this militia as a systematically brutal occupying organization and nothing more.

A glimpse of the violations and crimes committed by the SDF against Syrian civilians:
- Sending car bombs to areas outside their control and detonating them among civilians, most recently in Manbij, where dozens of civilians were killed, mostly women and children.
- Planting of landmines in cities and villages they withdraw from, as a systematic method of terror, which has led to the death of many civilians, including children.
- Blackmailing and pressuring civilian employees to go to combat lines like the Tishrin Dam and using them as human shields, resulting in some of their deaths.
- The forced conscription and harassment of civilians, especially women, by SDF Revolutionary Youth at checkpoints. The Revolutionary Youth (a military group of SDF’s) continues to fire live ammunition at night after the curfew has been imposed.
- One of the worst crimes and recurring violations by the SDF is the abduction and forced recruitment of children, both Kurdish and Arabs, into their ranks.
- The direct firing of live ammunition at protesters and arresting the injured ones from hospitals and some of them have been forcibly disappeared up until today.
- The SDF's occupation of the region has also been marked by the spread and promotion of drugs and prostitution with the militia’s knowledge.
- Silencing any opposition to SDF policies through false accusations, which ultimately lead to arrests and forced disappearances.
- The looting of the region's resources and the systematic attempts at demographic change.
We also remember the civilian victims in the neighboring city of Aleppo killed by SDF snipers in the Sheikh Maqsood and Ashrafiya neighborhoods.

This statement appeals to:
- Every free and honorable person in the world, asking them to protest on our behalf, to be our voice, and to not remain silent about the crimes committed by the SDF against us. We are being slaughtered in silence.
- International humanitarian organizations and media outlets: Help us expose violations and crimes committed against us and shed light on our grievances.
- The Syrian government: Fulfill its role in defending Syria’s sovereignty, unifying the Syrian people, and resisting any attempts at fragmentation without making concessions or offering privileges at our expense.
- Regional and international powers: Stop supporting militias such as SDF that commit violate human rights. Recognize our suffering!

February 8, 2025

Signatories (Alphabetical Order):
1- Abdulazim Alshikh Ali – Civil Activist
2- Abdullah Al-Eisawi – Nurse
3- Abdulrahim Zaher – Media Activist
4- AbdulRazzak Alaliewi – Engineer, Expert in Dams & Water Resources
5- Aboud Al-Hasani – PR Manager
6- Ahmad Albakri – Graduate of the School of Education
7- Ahmad Alshamam – Writer & Researcher
8- Ahmad Mustafa – Engineer
9- Alaa Shareef – Bachelor of Business Management
10- Ali Al-Mousa – Civil Engineer
11- Ameen Nasir – Public Sector Administrator (Germany)
12- Anwar AL Hajwan – Pharmacist
13- Anwar Almohamad Alkhoder – Lawyer
14- Bakri Askeif – Fine Artist
15- Hashem Tahri – Doctor
16- Jassim AlAhmmad – Data Engineer
17- Kadri Sattaf – PhD student, lawyer and legal consultant
18- Khaled Al Abdullah – Civil Engineer
19- Khalil Al-Batran – Writer & Researcher in Political Science & International Relations
20- Khalil Awda Al-Abdullah – Teacher
21- Mahir Sheddow – Civil Activist
22- Majed Alhamad – Civil Activist
23- Manhal Alalo – Human Rights Activist
24- Mary Melhem – Digital Creator
25- Mohammad Al-Hashemi – Media Activist
26- Mohammad Saleh Al-Mohammad – Activist
27- Mostafa Alhamedah – Lawyer
28- Muhammad Nasir – Software Engineer
29- Muhannad Alkatee – Writer & Researcher
30- Nidal Saleh Al-Rifai – Civil Activist
31- Nour Aljaber – Journalist
32- Nour Al-Jaradi – Civil Engineer
33- Obaida Al-Musharraf – Doctor
34- Qais Alobuid – Teacher
35- Sahar Suliman – Teacher
36- Schaalan Alt‘ai – Teacher
37- Soheb Alyaarubi – Media Activist
38- Suhaib Almithkal – Journalist & Content Creator
39- Waha Alraheb – Syrian actress and filmmaker

Additionally, a significant number of individuals from Deir ez-Zor, Hasakah, and Raqqa have preferred not to disclose their names, either due to their presence in the occupied territories or out of concern for the safety of their families living there, fearing the brutality and terrorism of the occupying SDF militia and their political wing the so-called the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC).

We emphasize that this statement remains open for public endorsement. Those who wish to support our cause may do so by sharing this post on the DHR Facebook page. By clicking the 'Share' button, individuals can help disseminate this message further.

For more information on the documented crimes and violations committed by the occupying SDF militia and SDC, both directly and indirectly, please refer to the sources linked below:

Ali, S. (2025). ‘To send a message’: What happened to the Tishreen Dam protest convoy? Syria Direct. January.
https://syriadirect.org/what-happened-to-the-tishreen-dam-protest-convoy/ (Accessed 2025-02-06)
Al Nofal, W. (2025). Manbij suffers seventh car bombing since SDF expelled. Syria Direct. February.
https://syriadirect.org/manbij-suffers-seventh-car-bombing-since-sdf-expelled/ (Accessed 2025-02-05)
Amnesty International. (2024). Syria: Mass death, torture and other violations against people detained in aftermath of Islamic State defeat – new report. April.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/04/syria-mass-death-torture-and-other-violations-against-people-detained-in-aftermath-of-islamic-state-defeat-new-report/(Accessed 2025-02-07)
Amnesty International. (2015). Syria: ‘We had nowhere to go’ – Forced displacement and demolitions in Northern Syria. October.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde24/2503/2015/en/ (Accessed 2025-02-05)
Enab Baladi. (2024). Raqqa: Casualties from SDF shooting at demonstrators. December.
https://english.enabbaladi.net/archives/2024/12/raqqa-casualties-from-sdf-shooting-at-demonstrators/ (Acessed 2025-02-07)
Hall, R. (2018). Syria war: Amnesty asks public to help track civilian casualties of US-led bombing in Raqqa. Independent. November, Beirut.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/syria-civil-war-raqqa-us-military-bombing-coalition-strike-tracker-amnesty-a8642656.html (Accessed 2025-02-05)
Human Rights Watch. (2024). Northeast Syria: Military Recruitment of Children Persists – No Action by de Facto Authorities Against Kurdish Youth Group. October, Beirut.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/10/02/northeast-syria-military-recruitment-children-persists (Accessed 2025-02-05)
Shali, S. (2024). Revolutionary Youth Movement allegedly kidnaps, recruits children in Qamishli, Hasakah. Kurdistan24.
https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/395738/Revolutionary-Youth-Movement-allegedly-kidnaps,-recruits-children-in-Qamishli,-Hasakah (Accessed 2025-02-05)
SNHR. (2025). 65 Civilians, Including One Child and Two Women, Killed by SDF Snipers in Two Months in Aleppo city. February.
https://snhr.org/blog/2025/02/06/65-civilians-including-one-child-and-two-women-killed-by-sdf-snipers-in-two-months-in-aleppo-city/ (Accessed 2025-02-07)
The Syrian Observer. (2019). Drugs Spread in Self-Administration Areas. July.
https://syrianobserver.com/syrian-actors/drugs-spread-in-self-administration-areas.html (Accessed 2025-02-05)

The Civil Movement of DHR