The town of Azaz in north Aleppo countryside near the border of Turkey emerged to the forefront of attention to the Syrian civil war in the weeks preceding the 'truce'/reduction in hostilities as the Kurdish YPG-dominated 'Syrian Democratic Forces' (SDF) attempted to take the remainder of rebel-held north Aleppo countryside, taking advantage of the regime and its allies' cutting off Aleppo city from the border by breaking the sieges of the Shi'a villages of Nubl and Zahara'. The SDF seized Mennagh airbase and Tel Ref'at, but no other major advances occurred, despite widespread speculation that Azaz and Mare'a would fall too. Instead, at the present time, only occasional clashes occur on the peripheries of Azaz in particular.
Though a key part of the narrative of SDF has been that it is fighting the al-Qa'ida affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra in the north Aleppo countryside, the claim can be challenged. The most important rebel forces in the north Aleppo countryside areas north of Nubl and Zahara' are the Shami Front (the key administrative actor) and Ahrar al-Sham (a considerable military presence but not administering territory). Though some local Jabhat al-Nusra members remain at least in the town of Azaz, the group withdrew as a fighting force from the north Aleppo countryside fronts against the Islamic State (IS) in the summer of 2015 in response to the U.S.-Turkish 'safe zone' plans. As a result, when one speaks of Jabhat al-Nusra currently fighting in the north Aleppo countryside, it only means points south of Nubl and Zahara'. Therefore, in contrast, there is validity to the SDF claim to be fighting Jabhat al-Nusra (and other jihadis like Jamaat Ansar al-Islam) in parts of Aleppo city, where fighting has also broken out between rebels and SDF.
A related dynamic here is to consider SDF motivation. Among the SDF forces is Jaysh al-Thuwar, many of whom were members of FSA-brand rebel forces that came into conflict with Jabhat al-Nusra and were subsequently routed (e.g. Syrian Revolutionaries Front, Harakat Hazm & Division 30). Therefore, a desire to get revenge on perceived members and/or allies of Jabhat al-Nusra must be taken into consideration here.
Besides these military developments, civil life and administration continue in the north Aleppo countryside. In the town of Azaz, administered by Shami Front-affiliate Northern Storm, some key institutions include the local council, the Shari'i court affiliated with the Supreme Judicial Council, and the media office. The media office is officially known as the "North Media Foundation" and currently has five employees. Its administrative official is one Uqba Hitab, who is originally from Deir az-Zor and fled on account of IS, which destroyed the rebels in the eastern province.
 "North Media Foundation" emblem. |
In October 2015, a dispute arose between the local council and the media office. The media office is based in a room inside a two-storey building that was once a café. The local council wished to take the building for itself in order to rent it out for income. The media office rejected the claim and so the dispute was referred to the Shari'i court. The document below I have obtained from October 2015 features a summons call for Uqba Hitab with regards to this case. It should be noted that the dispute was resolved earlier this month with the court ruling in favour of the media office.
Specimen A: Local Council vs. Media Office Dispute
Central Shari'i Court: Azaz
Case Notification
Claimant: Head of the Local Council in the town of Azaz
Defendant: Media Office in the town of Azaz
Addressed to the media office represented by Uqba Hitab whose specific address is: Azaz.
The Shari'i Committee calls on you to attend on Saturday 24 October 2015 for you to face the head of the Council by request....
You are requested to attend at the specified time and date under penalty of the issuing of a subpoena against you.
On date...at time...with the attendance of the following witnesses whose names are:
Witness:
Witness:
Bailiff:
Central Shari'i Court: Azaz
Supreme Judicial Council
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Besides the media office-local council dispute, a depreciation in the value of the Syrian pound has meant that some businesses and exchange shops in Azaz have been refusing to deal with currency units of value 50, 100 and 200 Syrian pounds. This led to a notification last month from the Shari'i court obliging all businesses and shops to deal in these currency units.
Specimen B: Notification from the Shari'i Court to Businesses and Shops
Central Shari'i Court: Azaz
Supreme Judicial Council
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Statement for Distribution
To all exchange and business shops in the town of Azaz:
We have been informed of the refusal of some to accept dealing with currency units of value 50, 100 and 200 Syrian pounds. We have also been informed that this is making people fall into severe hardship and is leading to great affliction.
Therefore we ask for an end to this sort of behaviour and specify:
1. All exchange and business shops are obliged to deal with currency units of those values.
2. All who violate this statement for distribution will be punished, possibly leading to the closure of one's shop and one's imprisonment.
- This decision is considered effective from this date.
- Copies of the decision are to be distributed to all shops.
Issued on 23 February 2016.
Head of the Central Court in Azaz.
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Update (26 March 2016): Another local administrative development that has come up recently in Azaz involves the price of electricity, related both to the availability of diesel fuel for generators and its price in Syrian pounds as well as the continuing fall of the value of the Syrian pound relative to the U.S. dollar. The diesel fuel comes from traders who purchase supplies in Islamic State-held areas. At the moment, a key factor in keeping diesel prices somewhat low is the high supply relative to the demand. This would change if there were to be a route for fuel trucks opened up on a more long-term basis to Idlib, leading to a sharp surge in demand. Currently, a route solely though rebel-held territory in Aleppo to Idlib is not possible since the regime broke the sieges of Nubl and Zahara', while the route for fuel trucks through Kurdish-held Afrin is often closed.
The closure of this route through Afrin canton is usually due to the PYD administration, but sometimes Jabhat al-Nusra closes this route as it immediately leaves the Afrin canton and enters into the Aleppo town of Darat Izza to get through to Idlib province, on account of problems between Jabhat al-Nusra and the PYD. According to a friend in Jabal al-Summaq in northern Idlib, there was a fuel crisis in Idlib province around a month ago with a heavy rise in diesel prices, and then an agreement was reached for the passage of fuel to Idlib via Afrin and the north Aleppo countryside (though looking at the diesel prices in the Azaz Shari'i court document the agreement does not seem to have lasted long). On the other hand, the same source says that the regime may have opened up another route for fuel to reach the wider Idlib province via the village of Abu Dali, although exact details are not confirmed.
In terms of the Azaz Shari'i court's attempt to regulate electricity prices, some generator owners reject the decision on account of the falling value of the Syrian pound (see Specimen D). It is questionable how far the Azaz Shari'i court can really enforce its rulings on this matter.
Specimen C: Shari'i Court Regulations on Electricity Prices
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
- On account of the difficult living conditions in the north Aleppo countryside, and with a desire to prevent the exploitation of people's need, and with the availability of diesel fuel ranging in price from 20,000 to 25,000 Syrian pounds [per barrel: depending on local exchange rate, anywhere between around $36 and $50], the central court in the town of Azaz has decided to fix the price of amperes of electricity on the following basis:
1. The fixing of the price of the ampere for one week at 700 Syrian pounds for a period of use of 9 hours a day.
2. The fixing of the price of the ampere for one week at 800 Syrian pounds for a period of use of 10 hours a day.
Let it be known that the fixing of the price according to this scheme has been discussed with some of the owners of generators.
The decision is to be conveyed to all owners of generators under penalty of holding to account that may result in removal [of the generator] and fine.
Date of issue: 9 March 2016
Central Shari'i Court in Azaz
Supreme Judicial Council
Diwan
Specimen D: Notice from a generator in Azaz [date: 25 March 2016]
To the user brothers:
In view of the rise of the values of the dollar, the price of one ampere has become 1000 Syrian pounds [per week w/daily use of 8-9 hours] beginning from next week. Thanks for your cooperation.
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Update (27 March 2016): Azaz is not the only place where attempts have been made to set the price of electricity. The rebel-held parts of the city of Aleppo similarly saw a price definition set by the head of the Free Aleppo City Council: a civil administration body for the rebel-hed parts of the city that is linked to the Free Aleppo Province Council, which in turn has ties to the opposition Syrian interim government. The decision appears to have the endorsement of a number of organizations and factions, as shown by the stamps on the document below, including Jabhat al-Nusra, Ahrar al-Sham, the Salah al-Din neighbourhood council and the Aleppo city court.
Specimen E: Notice on electricity price and complaints
Announcement Complaint number: 0959474182
Official tariff for the price of the domestic ampere:
Implementing the decision issued by the head of the Free Aleppo City Council:
No. 267 on date 24 March 2016
15 Syrian pounds for one hour.
This tariff becomes effective beginning on Saturday 26 March 2016 and lasting until the end of the week on the date of the issuing of the period report of prices for the next week.
Complaints will be received in the Provisional Oversight Office located in the building of the Aleppo City Council.
Head of the local council for Aleppo city
Buraitha Haji Hassan
Head of the Oversight and Tracking Committee
Director of Provisional Oversight (by commission)
Mustafa Flayis
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Update (30 May 2016): A new IS offensive has pushed ever closer to Azaz, and though the rebels have regained some localities taken in the IS offensive, the situation remains dangerous. Accordingly, the Shari'i court has imposed a number of measures, beginning with a state of emergency declaration on May 27:
"In view of the emergency circumstances the area is living through and out of desire to protect public security for the town of Azaz and those living in it:
1. The central court in Azaz with the rest of the mujahid factions announces a state of emergency in the town of Azaz and what is around it.
2. Curfew from 8p.m. to 7a.m. from Friday evening 27 May 2016 until further notice.
3. Arms and ammo dealers are barred from selling and buying them
4. No firing shots for whatever reason except in the event of clashes with the Dawa'ish, and the one who does fire will be referred to the military court.
5. The court is to be informed of cases of emergencies through the judicial officer corps.
6. Violators of this announcement will be referred to the military court.
The court asks our people to comply with the announcement under penalty of holding the violator accountable. The announcement is to be published through the amplifiers in the mosques, social media sites and television channels."
Further, the latest IS push has led to concerns of internal displacements and crowding into the Azaz area that has traditionally functioned as a safe zone on account of its proximity to the Turkish border and relative infrequency of airstrikes. There are also suspicions of IS sleeper cells that are thought to have aided the new IS offensive and might exist among the new arrivals to the Azaz area. Accordingly the Shari'i court issued to ban an acceptance on new arrivals of refugees from eastern areas (i.e. IS-controlled):
Supreme Judicial Council in Aleppo and its countryside
Central Shari'i court of Azaz
Statement for distribution
In view of the overcrowding of the liberated northern countryside with refugees, lack of ability to assimilate the refugees from the neighbouring eastern areas, and in fear of coercive and devised displacement operations that aim to change the residential composition for the interest of partition and building the claimed Kurdish mini-state with the comical theatrics that are happening at the hands of Da'esh and the PKK party:
The military court in coordination with the mujahid military factions in the northern countryside (Azaz) announces the following:
1. It is forbidden to accept refugees from the eastern areas and all crossings for the crossing of civilians that lead to the Azaz area and its surrounding are to be closed.
This is [also] to protect the safety of our people in the Azaz area and its surrounding from the infiltration of Da'esh sleeper cells and to protect the refugees from the mines planted by Da'esh.
Published on 29 May 2016.
Head of the Central Shari'i court of Azaz.
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Update (2 June 2016): The Shari'i court has issued a clarification statement regarding its prohibition on accepting refugees from the eastern areas:
Supreme Judicial Council in Aleppo and its countryside
Central Shari'i court of Azaz
No. 4
Date: 1 June 2016
Statement of clarification
To our refugee brothers from the eastern countryside and rest of the regions towards the town of Azaz
As-salam alaykum wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuhu. Indeed the statement for distribution issued from the Azaz court as regards not allowing your entry into the Azaz area is a temporary decision that was called for by the state of emergency, which was announced on account of Da'esh's occupation of the villages neighbouring Azaz and its direct threat to the town.
This decision was issued out of a desire on our part to open an official crossing for your safe arrival to the area on account of the danger of the unofficial crossings that you use and that are filled with mines that have led to the martyrdom of a number of the refugees and wounding of others on multiple occasions.
Our brothers in the eastern countryside and rest of the regions, this decision did not come to abandon you or to increase your ills and sufferings, no- God forbid- but rather it has come to prevent the ship from sinking with us all.
Also we affirm to you our strenuous efforts to open a safe crossing to ensure the arrival of civilians fleeing from the oppression of the gangs of Da'esh and the crimes of forced displacement committed by the Syrian Democratic Forces against our people in Tel Ref'at and its surrounding.
Oh our people in the eastern countryside and the rest of the regions, our role is your role, our blood is your blood, for you are our people and we are your people and these are our sufferings and your sufferings, so will the humanitarian conscience with the organizations, associations and friendly states mobilize to remove these ills from us and you?
We apologize if this decision hurt you, and we ask you to consider the circumstances our area is going through, and there are arrangements being made by the court in coordination with the revolutionary and military forces and humanitarian organizations to receive you in a manner appropriate for you and your brothers as soon as possible. May God protect you, provide you refuge and drive out those who drove you out.
Head of the Central Shari'i court of Azaz.
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Update (5 June 2016): The onset of Ramadan has led the Shari'i court and the awqaf division in Azaz to produce a table of prayer times during the month.
