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Ten Syrian women released in swap deal with regime

March 8, 2018 at 1:50 am

Free Syrian Army members during the ‘Operation Olive Branch’ in northwest of Afrin’s Rajo town in Syria, on 15 February 2018 [Beha el Halebi/Anadolu Agency]

The Syrian regime has released ten women and one soldier of the Free Syrian army after two years of arbitrary detention, torture and rape in a prisoners swap deal with rebels.

Commander of the Syrian Turkmen, Liwa Muntassir Billah, Mohammed Pasha told Turkey’s Anadolu news agency that the prisoners exchange deal took place two days ago where ten women and a Free Syrian army soldier were freed in exchange for releasing nine Syrian regime soldiers.

Pasha said the regime arrested the women two years ago, when they broke into different areas in Homs and Idlib countryside.

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“The prisoners were exchanged near the village of Abu Zeidin in the city of Bab in the province of Aleppo. The regime arrested our sisters two years ago without any justification. They were subjected to various kinds of torture and rape in prison. A year ago we captured nine regime soldiers. Two days ago, we could liberate the women and the soldier” Pasha said.

”We did not treat the regime’s soldiers badly, and as you saw in the prisoners exchange scenes, they all forgave us before they left. The reason for our good treatment with the regime prisoners stems from our values which we inherited from our Turkish ancestors. We as Turkmen treat everyone well, even prisoners”.