The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) called on authorities in Jordan not to forcibly return journalist Ibrahim Awad to areas controlled by the Syrian regime, warning of the dangers he would encounter.
The SNHR said in a statement, a copy of which was received by SY-24, that the authorities in Jordan arrested the Syrian journalist on November 18th from his home under a warrant issued by the General Intelligence, and not from the Jordanian judiciary.
After his arrest, his equipment was confiscated, and he was placed under house arrest in the al-Azraq camp, the network added, referring to information that the Jordanian authorities intended to return him to Syria.
The SNRH explained that Awad, who is from the town of al-Muzayrib in the western countryside of Daraa, participated as a journalist in the popular movement against the rule of the Syrian regime. He worked as a war correspondent for the First Corps, one of the armed opposition factions, and then sought refuge in Jordan where he’s been residing for years.
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The network added that Awad practiced journalism throughout his stay in Jordan until the moment of his arrest, and has appeared in dozens of television interventions and press reports, through several media outlets. He has also monitored, through his Twitter account, the recent military campaign of the Syrian-Russian Alliance in Daraa governorate, and followed many violations carried out by these forces.
The human rights network warned that the presence of Awad in Syrian territory, particularly in areas controlled by the Syrian regime, poses a serious threat to his life. This comes given that the Syrian regime retaliated against those who criticized it and stood against it by arbitrarily arresting and then torturing them. Most of those detained by the Syrian regime are forcibly disappeared.
It is worth mentioning that the Syrian regime controls all areas adjacent to the Jordanian-Syrian border, except the area of al-Tanf, which is controlled by armed opposition factions backed by the international coalition forces led by the United States of America.
Jordan hosts some 650,000 Syrian refugees registered with the United Nations, while Amman estimates that 1.3 million people have sought refuge in the Kingdom since the outbreak of the conflict in Syria.
Earlier, Amnesty International warned that the Syrian regime’s security forces were subjecting Syrian citizens who had returned home to arrest, disappearance, and torture, including acts of sexual violence.
The UN Human Rights Council said that Syria remains unsafe for the sustainable and dignified return of refugees and internally displaced persons.
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.
