German federal prosecutors petitioned to launch war crimes case against Turkish-backed Sunni factions abusing Kurds in Syria

Syrians for Truth and Justice (STJ) and the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights have filed a complaint with German federal prosecutors against Turkish-backed Sunni factions they accuse of war crimes against Kurds in Afrin. These include ethnic cleansing, rape and looting. German prosecutors have convicted individuals accused of torturing fellow Syrians on behalf of the Assad regime. They hope similar judgements can be handed down to the Turkish-backed militias, some of which are already under sanctions for war crimes by the United States, STJ's executive director Bassam Alahmad says.