Iraq News
Protests

Tensions rise in al-Suwayda as Syrian regime refuses to release activist

By Waleed Abu al-Khair in Cairo

Plumes of smoke can be seen rising from the main police station in al-Suwayda. [Photo courtesy of al-Suwayda 24 Facebook page]

Plumes of smoke can be seen rising from the main police station in al-Suwayda. [Photo courtesy of al-Suwayda 24 Facebook page]

Tension has risen in the southern Syrian city of al-Suwayda, near the border with Jordan, after regime forces have repeatedly refused to release an activist or give any information of his whereabouts, activists tell Diyaruna.

Fears are especially high since the revelation that the Syrian regime since 2011 has been systematically arresting political opponents and executing them en masse at locations around the country.

Jubran Salama Murad, a Druz native of the nearby town of al-Qurayya, has been repeatedly arrested by regime intelligence forces on multiple occasions "over his political views", al-Suwayda resident and political activist Nizar Abu Ali told Diyaruna.

"The current arrest took place when he was in al-Suwayda on Friday (June 9th)," he said. "However, this time the situation was different because the security forces denied they had arrested him."

Relatives of Murad, however, confirmed what had happened on the following day.

Protesters gather in al-Suwayda

"Because of repeated denials by the security forces, and fears that he might disappear or be held in custody for a long period without trial, his relatives staged protests to request his release," Abu Ali said.

"As there was no response, some residents of al-Qurayya detained seven police and security elements to negotiate with the regime forces over the mutual release," he said.

"Protestors, including the relatives and friends of the detainee and some Druz clerics, on Monday (June 12th) staged a protest in al-Suwayda after the security forces did not honour promises to release him, under the pretext that he was in the capital, Damascus," Abu Ali added.

"This exacerbated fears that he might have been hurt," he said. "Therefore, they surrounded the main police station, sparking clashes with the protection force, which soon developed into gunfire."

Some protestors burnt tires at the entrance of the station, and the building soon caught fire, prompting the fire brigade to intervene to put it out and prevent it from spreading into the building.

"The situation is still very tense, with the security [forces] refusing to release Murad, and residents of al-Qurayya still holding the seven police elements," Abu Ali said.

Some local dignitaries are trying to arrange a swap to calm the situation down, he said.

Do you like this article?

0 Comment(s)
Comment Policy * Denotes Required Field 1500 / 1500