The co-leader of the Syria Future Party, Hervin Khalaf was killed in an ambush on a road in northern Syria on Saturday, according to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
It comes in the wake of an incursion by Turkish forces into northern Syria, which the UN says has forced 130,000 people to flee their homes.
Reacting to the news, the European Green Party co-chair Monica Frassoni said:
“It is with deep sorrow to hear reports that the co-leader of the Syria Future Party, Hervin Khalaf has been killed following an ambush that resulted in multiple deaths. It is clear that this incursion has unleashed a new wave of unimaginable violence which must be countered.”
The 35-year-old secular politician reportedly worked peacefully to unite Arab and Kurdish forces.
“If the reports are verified, then this despicable act against a politician who posed no threat, that involved her being dragged out of her car and murdered viciously on a highway, amounts to a war crime,” continued Frassoni.
“We call on the international community to act fast to stop this violent attack and the United Nations to unequivocally condemn this violence and initiate a process to guarantee sanctions on Turkey. The Kurdish people played a crucial role in defeating ISIS and their calls for help, including the request for a no-fly-zone in Rojava and the affected area must be addressed now. The EU must also do everything in its power to prevent the deaths of more innocent people. A first step must be to ensure that all Member States halt arms exports with immediate effect,” she added.
