Annul the Appointment of the Killer of Hevrîn Xalef

Kongra Star condemns the military command appointment of the murderer of the Future Syria Party’s Secretary, Hevrîn Xalef, and calls for the trial of the perpetrator in this act of feminicide.

Ehmed El Hayis (Hatim Ebû Şeqra) has recently been appointed commander of the 86th Division, which covers Raqqa, Tabqa, and Deir ez-Zor. He was formerly the commander of the Ehrar El Şerqiye mercenary formation and is the main person responsible for the killing of Hevrîn Xalef, Secretary of the Future Syria Party. The murder took place on 12 October 2019 on the M4 road—one of the main communication routes in northern and eastern Syria. Her murder and martydom occurred at the onset of the Turkish military operation that led to the occupation of Serekaniye and Gire Spi.

Hevrîn Xalef was jj. Before being killed and falling martyr, she was tortured. According to the autopsy report, she was beaten until her left leg was fractured multiple times, dragged by her hair until part of her skin detached, and ultimately shot in the head and chest. The fact that the person responsible for this brutal act is now in a position of leadership in areas where a new society based on democratic confederalism and women’s liberation is being built is a clear provocation. It is an attempt to undermine the victories of the women’s movement, achieved through long struggle and great sacrifice.

Today, May 8, 2025, in front of the Mohammad Sheikho Centre for Culture and Art, Kongra Star issued a statement regarding the appointment of Hatem Abu Shaqra as responsible for the Ministry’s duties in northern and eastern Syria. The statement was read by Gulîstan Gulo, a member of the Kongra Star Coordination Committee. The statement is as follows:

“We in the Kongra Star Movement view the appointment of Hatem Abu Shaqra as commander of the 86th Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Syrian Caketar Government—responsible for the Ministry’s duties in Hasakah, Raqqa, and Deir Ezzor—as a hostile act against the components of the region in general, and in particular against the free will and rights of Syrian women.

We also consider this appointment an act that goes against the principles of transitional justice and threatens any possibility of preparing for it, along with the broader transitional phase that we, as Syrian women and men, need. While we condemn this irresponsible approach, we also view it in contradiction with the agreement signed between the SDF leadership and the Presidency of the Syrian Caretaker Government—particularly the clauses concerning the rights of the region’s components and the rights of women.

On this basis, we demand the immediate reversal of the decision and the submission of Hatem Abu Shaqra to the competent courts for a transparent and fair trial. We also call for an immediate apology from those who made this provocative decision to the family of political leader Hevrîn Xalef, who was killed along with her companions by the criminal murderer Abu Shaqra. It has been confirmed that he was involved in the killing of dozens of Yazidis and members of our people while serving in the ranks of the terrorist organisation ISIS.

We in the Kongra Star Movement believe that the credibility of the Syrian Caketar Government is now at stake—not only in the eyes of the Syrian people, but also across the region and at the global level. We warn that the positive gestures shown by some regional governments will not shield it from the consequences of its actions and policies directed against this people and this land.”

The statement concluded with chants demanding the rights of all components and the slogan: “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî.”