Pro-regime media promoted the prosecution of survivors of the death boat in Tartous and all Syrians who fled its areas of control, threatening them with imprisonment and large fines. This angered regime supporters.
A lawyer loyal to the Assad regime, speaking on a pro-regime radio, claimed that the Assad regime was moving to criminalize the survivors of the death boat and fine them huge sums of money as part of what he called the “crime of illegally leaving the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic.” This comes at a time when the Assad regime and its sectarian mercenaries are turning a blind eye to the smuggling of drugs and other contraband between Lebanon and Syria, as is the case with Jordan, Iraq and other countries.
During an intervention on the Al-Madina radio, lawyer Rami Hamed claimed that the government was moving to prosecute the survivors. He noted that the law provides for one to five years in prison and a fine of 5 to 10 million Syrian pounds or one of these two penalties for anyone who enters or leaves Syria illegally or is caught on the Syrian border without a justified reason. However, he claimed that the so-called spirit of the law and the humanitarian aspect would be present in the case and reduce the sentence.
Victims will pay the price!
The lawyer’s comments infuriated and angered regime supporters, noting that Assad’s regime’s first and last quest is to get money and that its prosecution of survivors will be to get fines in the first place. One commentator called on Assad’s regime to leave the survivors alone and search at sea for lost money because it is more important than their lives.
A lawyer also refuted the latest statement by lawyer Hamed: “They do not have any punishment in Syria unless they have illegally left Syria. Whoever left legally is not guilty.” This prompted the page to justify the regime by arresting the survivors: “The Syrian government can not remain silent, and there are dozens of bodies on the coasts.”
Assad Regime Holds Europe Responsible
MP Faisal Jammoul blamed Europe for the sinking of the boat. He said that the travel of Syrians to Europe comes under what he called a planned and organized framework to empty the region of educated people.
In an attempt to torpedo the dire reality that Syrians live in Assad’s areas of control, which pushed them to ride the sea and take risks, Faisal Jammoul said: “We are now putting all the problems on the government and saying that it did not do its job properly. There is no doubt that there is some imbalance in some governments; Arab governments are not worthy of leading their people. However, this has become the result of the blockade, the wars that have arisen in these areas, and the events created by the countries of the West and America.”
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.
