Kurdish military and civilian authorities in Syrian Rojava handed over to the Russian government 52 Russian citizens known as ISIS families on Sunday. According to Abdulkarim Omar, Head of Jazira Foreign Relations Commission, the families numbered nine women and 43 children.

Omar said that the Kurds of Syria appreciated Russia’s support for their efforts for self-rule and Kurdish participation in Syria’s political process, adding that the handover of the ISIS families was a gesture of reciprocity between Kurds and Russia.

“From our commitment to human rights and international treaties and agreements, today a number of Russian citizens will be handed over on their own accord and without any force as long as they have not taken part in combat and have no blood of Syrians on their hands, they’ll be handed over to the Russian government.” Omar said.

At a ceremony attended by Kurdish and Russian military and civilian envoy the families were put on buses and under Russian government responsibility.

“We’re handing over ISIS families to the Russian state. I’d like to say that as YPG, YPJ and the SDF we treated those women humanely.” Nuri Mahmoud, official YPG spokesman told reporters.

Dr. Ziad al-Sabsabi, Deputy Head of Foreign Relations Commission at the Russian Duma also told reporters that “Russia always insists on the participation of Kurds in the Geneva talks, Astana talks, and future conferences.”

Speaking in Arabic, al-Sabsabi said: “But we’ve to be also realistic. Russia cannot completely ignore the Geneva talks just to impose a Kurdish participation. It’s no secret that Russia always represents Kurdish interests and takes into account their side in all negotiations.”