A 14-year-old Syrian boy, identified as A.Z., fell victim to a brutal physical assault by a group of Turkish citizens in Gaziantep, Turkey. The incident unfolded amidst a dispute between the child and some Turkish students at a school in the Cumhuriyet district of Gaziantep.
According to Taha al-Ghazi, a human rights activist, the confrontation escalated when the Turkish students informed their parents about the disagreement. Subsequently, a group of individuals affiliated with the student’s family located and attacked A.Z. The assailants subjected him to severe torture, including beating him with metal objects, forcibly removing his hair, inserting keys into sensitive areas, and employing various forms of violence.
The perpetrators then transported the injured child to a remote location, where they continued their brutal assault. A.Z. was later abandoned on the side of the road, and seriously injured. The child, who lost his mother at the age of one, had initially gone to a nearby school with classmates in Gaziantep province to play football.
Ghazi emphasized through a Facebook post that after discovering the victim, the child’s father reported the harrowing incident. The father recounted how the attackers had not only physically abused his son but also engaged in psychological torment, such as strangulation and burning with cigarette butts.
After the rescue, A.Z. was promptly taken to a government hospital, where he remains under medical observation. The father noted that his son, now unable to talk or communicate, experiences severe nervous convulsions.
In response to the appalling incident, various Turkish human rights organizations, along with members of the Gaziantep Bar Association, have reached out to the child’s family. They aim to provide support and ensure legal actions are taken to pursue justice for A.Z. The family is receiving assistance from these entities to navigate the legal process and address the traumatic assault on their son.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
