Born Samir Aso in Afrin, Hamo began his political and military trajectory in 1994 when he joined the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Jamal al-Sharaa has become a cautionary tale: a reminder that even in post-Assad Syria, the struggle against corruption begins not in the ministries—but at home.
Rayburn’s involvement with the Syrian dossier has been shaped through a succession of pivotal roles, Syria TV writes.
Saraya Ansar al-Sunna first made headlines after a massacre in the village of Arzeh, Hama province, in February, where at least fifteen civilians were killed.
Western analysts and regional observers have speculated that al-Awda could emerge as a counterweight to Syria’s new rulers, particularly given his previous ties to Russia and his potential backing from regional players like the UAE and Jordan
Najib is accused of being behind the torture and killing of young Hamza al-Khatib.
As Defense Minister, Abu Qusra faces the daunting task of unifying Syria’s fragmented factions under a cohesive national military institution
Mohammed al-Jassim’s journey from an uneducated agricultural worker to powerful warlord exemplifies the chaotic transformation of Syria’s revolution into a fractured landscape of opportunistic factions.
A profile of Major General Husam Louka, the new head of the General Security Directorate who is accused of countless human rights violations
The U.S. State Department has recently imposed sanctions on Brigadier General Abdulsalam Fajr Mahmoud, a prominent Syrian Air Force official, as well as on his wife. What do we know about him?
Hamieh’s role extends far beyond simple smuggling operations
The U.S. Treasury Department has announced sanctions against three Syrian individuals involved in the production and trade of Captagon, which financially supports the Syrian regime and its allies.
Both Haitham Ali al-Tabtabai and Munir Ali Naim Shaito (Hajj Hashem) are integral figures within Hezbollah’s military leadership.
Faisal Mekdad was sworn in as Vice President of the Republic before President Bashar al-Assad on October 2, 2024, raising the question: does this signify a promotion or a demotion for the seasoned diplomat?
Who is Taher al-Kayali, targeted by a new wave of U.S. sanctions?
In a significant reshuffle within the Syrian regime’s security apparatus, President Bashar al-Assad has appointed Major General Qahtan Khalil as the new director of the Syrian Air Force Intelligence Department.
Despite initially being part of Al-Julani’s crisis management cell, Zakour later found himself wanted by HTS.
Shakour was serving as ambassador in Paris when France24 announced her defection, which she later refuted on state television, according to Syria TV.
Bilal Al-Na’al is a prominent Damascus-born businessman, known for his significant contributions in the real estate and investment sectors
Dima Moussa’s role as a lawyer, feminist, and politician in the Syrian opposition highlights her as a key figure in the ongoing struggle for a free and democratic Syria.
His military career was marred by allegations of involvement in crimes and massacres in areas such as Daraa.
Khader Ali Taher has rapidly ascended the ranks of influence and power in war-torn Syria.
Hind Kabawat is a prominent figure in interfaith peacebuilding and conflict resolution, focusing on Syria.
Zubaidi is linked to Yasar Hussein Ibrahim, head of the economic and financial office of the presidency, according to al-Souria Net.
Who is Sheikh Osama al-Rifai, the new Grand Mufti of Syria appointed by the Opposition after the position was abolished by Assad.
Who is Ethan Goldrich, the new Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, with responsibility for the Levant and Syria engagement.
Academics, a former presidential candidate, and an SSNP minister. Who are the five new ministers in the new Arnous Government?
A political scientist with ties to gulf countries and Syrian tribes: Who is Salem al-Meslet, the new head of the Syrian Opposition Coalition?
After joining the Cyber Warfare department in 1987, Ali Youssef Hamad rose through the ranks until being nominated as the head of the institution, according to Zaman al-Wasl.
Syria is soon to receive a new ambassador from Iran, replacing Jawad Turkabadi who has served since 2017, reports Al-Souria Net.
Lawyer Mahmoud Mar’ai is the only opposition figure running for the presidency in Syria.
Major General Rafiq Shahadah has been a prominent figure in Syria for decades and has been linked to numerous crimes and corruption.
Hussein Arnous was appointed Prime Minister in 2020, but has had a long career in the Assad regimes, aiding corruption and providing unwavering support.
Talal Barazi has been named as the Minister of Local Trade and Consumer Protection, but before that he was a highly contentious Governor of Homs, where he was disliked in equal measures by both sides.
With people speculating about a change at the top of Syrian politics, Israeli author and Arab affairs specialist Edy Cohen has proposed that Fahd al-Masri, who has been involved with the opposition, could be a viable replacement.
Mazloum Abdi is the leader of the Syrian Democratic Forces and has played a prominent role both on the battlefield and in diplomatic efforts with Western leaders.
Hadi al-Bahra is the co-president of the opposition’s side of the Constitutional Committee and has for a long time been central in opposition politics.
Ahmad Nabil al-Kuzbari was named as the head of the regime delegation to Constitutional Committee, but prior to that he was known for chairing the Constitutional and Legislative Committee of the People’s Assembly.
Luna al-Shibl has had a meteoric rise to prominence, from journalist at Al Jazeera to Assad’s Press Officer, but has also come into direct conflict with Assad’s wife.
Saqr Rustom has become well known for his financial corruption, his confrontations with other loyalist and massacres carried out by group.
Talal Dakkak became known for his brutal acts, including feeding people to lions, but has now become a powerful business figure in Hama.
Fadi al-Mallah has been fighting with the regime since 2014 and has been accused of committing a number of human rights violations.
Once a coffee seller and a petty thief, Ali al-Shulli is now a militia commander who has been accused of forcing girls into prostitution and committing massacres.
Major-General Kifah al-Milhem has been accused of killing thousands of people and has reportedly been made the head of the Military Intelligence Directorate.
During his time in the Ministry of Finanace, Mamoun Hamdan oversaw the seizures of assets belonging to tens of thousands of people.
Major General Aous Ali Aslan is a professional soldier that was once thought to be a viable successor to Bashar al-Assad.
As the head of the Air Force Intelligence in Aleppo, Major General Adeeb Namr Salameh, has overseen a systematic policy of oppression and torture.
As a refugee, Muzoon Almellehan has work tirelessly to secure education rights for young girls.
Since the start of the uprising in 2011, Alice Mufarrej has worked to reduce violence and promote the voice of women in Syria.
Miraj Ural, who is accused of various massacres, in particular in Baniyas, is used by the Syrian regime in its conflict against Turkey. He was recently wounded following an ambush on his convoy
Hisham Khuzami has been working on both sides of the conflict to secure the release of prisoners
Zaina Erhaim is a Syrian journalist and activist and one of the few people who has been able to report from within the country.
Prominent member of Syria’s Turkmen community has succeeded Riad Seif
Liberal, secular and a woman, Kodmani has played a leading role in setting up the Syrian opposition, providing a counterweight to the Islamists
With his administration placing greater focus on education and health, interim government prime minister Hatab has caused controversy for his calls to relocate opposition ministers to serve inside Syria and the absence of Kurds in his cabinet
Khamis has been considered one of the leading figures of “austere living” in the past five years. He is best known as “the prince of darkness” or the “minister of darkness”
Al-Hassan’s cult-like status has helped him cement an image of a fearless and merciless commander in the public eye, with many touting the Syrian colonel as a likely successor to President Bashar Assad
Zahran is also known as “Sheikh Zahran” for his Islamist credentials. As one of the most influential figures in Syria, he is a product of the ongoing civil war: a warlord.
The famed Syrian actor, former UN Goodwill Ambassador and activist renounced the Assad regime and its misgovernance in favor of a national democratic initiative for the Syrian people
Khaled Khoja’s appointment to the coalition leadership comes at a critical stage of the institution’s history
The UN staff member remains a divisive figure, and has never publicly criticized regime policy to date
President Bashar Assad has appointed current Prime Minister Wael Halqi to form a new cabinet
Nyrabia is a moderate leftist with clear liberal leanings, described as a figure of compromise
Nouri became the second contender against Assad for the presidency
Maher Hajjar is running in the Syrian presidential elections against Bashar al-Assad, but many consider this move as a farce
Rustom Mahmoud writes for The Syrian Observer about Shebal Ibrahim, the ‘Prince of the Youth Movement’ in Qamishli
The latest entry in our series of profiles of leading Syrian Kurdish political leaders
Rustom Mahmoud writes for The Syrian Observer on Ibrahim Miro, the silent Minister of Economy and Finance in the Syrian interim government
With his songs and resistance, Sarout has become a symbol of the Syrian revolution
Rustom Mahmoud writes on the leader of the oldest Syrian Kurdish party
A profile of one of the leading opposition activists in the Damascus suburb of Al-Tal, who was killed by the Syrian regime a few days ago.
Yahya Alous writes for The Syrian Observer about the actress who became a national symbol for Syrian unity
Rustom Mahmoud writes about one of the most controversial characters in the Syrian Kurdish community
Adnan Abdulrazzak writes for The Syrian Observer about Hussein al-Ammash a leading defector
As head of one of the largest Assyrian political organisations, he has taken an active part in the Syrian revolution
Adnan Abdulrazak writes for The Syrian Observer on the businessman who mediated between the Syrian regime and major superpowers
The secretary of the Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party in Syria, Abdulhamid Darwish, is regarded as one of the last remaining of the original Kurdish political activists
The Syrian ambassador to Jordan has a history in intelligence operations
Yahya Alous writes about the person who wanted to change the image of Islam
Souad Khibiyeh writes for The Syrian Observer on the doctor who became a landmark in Damascus Countryside
Muntaha Atrash is the daughter of the nationalist icon, Sultan Atrash
Many believe Shallah to be the password for the business community in Damascus
Below are the quick bios of the National Coalition’s interim government
Not everybody likes Louay Hussein, but almost everybody takes him into account
Mouallem has repeatedly proved that he is loyal to the Assad family, and has, on certain occasion, put himself in awkward situations
Sharaa asked, “Why don’t we, officials or ordinary citizens, work to shorten the steps and suffering?” but no one would listen to him
ISIS is everywhere, but very little is known about it
This piece is based on a piece written by Ibrahim al-Jabeen in al-Arab Newspaper.
Now a member of the National Coalition, Kilo tries to make a difference and limit the Islamists’ influence
Tomeh has the support of Ahmad Jarba and Saudi Arabia
The filmmaker was killed while documenting the regime’s first massacre in Houleh
Her accounts have been one of the key sources of the events taking place in Syria for the outside world. Under the threat of being arrested and killed she now lives in hiding
Nassif enjoys a special relationship with Assad that makes him one of the closest political and security advisers to the Syrian president, on account of him being a veteran of the era of President Hafez al-Assad
Few people had heard of Ahmad Jarba before he became the top opposition figure in Syria
During the Syrian Revolution, a great many groups were spontaneously formed to help Syrian citizens and refugees and provide them with basic assistance
Some call him the fox; others the elder man; but he prefers to be called cousin
Qadri Jamil, a Syrian politician who had very little influence in the Syrian political scene before the revolution, has been appointed Deputy Prime Minister in the current government to please Russia
Suheir Atassi, who is one of the vice-presidents of the National Coalition, has become the most influential woman in the Syrian opposition.
A profile of Ghassan Hitto, the recently-elected head of the Syrian opposition interim government.
Born to a Christian family in the city of Qatana, in the Damascus Countryside, Sabra is known for his long history of opposition to the Assad regime in Damascus, as a leader of a communist faction in Syria.
This report is based upon meetings and direct dialogue with groups and individuals working in the field of documentation inside Syria. The report draws its conclusions from information provided by these sources via meetings in Beirut, Istanbul, Antalya, and Gaziantep, in addition to direct communication with them while they were on the ground in Syria.
Charity organizations are highly reputable in Syria and may be considered the oldest forms of civil society in the country.
The Syrian League for Citizenship (SLC) was founded to promote the principle of citizenship and equal rights and duties to all the Syrian citizens. It works through workshops, seminars, lectures, and the media to convey its key messages.
General Ali Mamlouk is one of the most powerful Syrian security officers and a high ranking aide to President Bashar al Assad. He is the director of the Baath Party National Security Bureau, but his reputation came from his position as the head of the General directorate of Intelligence, one of the four most powerful security agencies in Syria.
During the Syrian revolution, Mazen played an essential role in launching the revolution and in defending victims who fell for participating in the revolution
A profile of John Yazigi who was appointed head of Syria’s largest church in December 2012
Now President of the National Coalition for Opposition Forces and the Syrian Revolution, Ahmad Muaz al-Khatib is a former petroleum engineer and an Islamic preacher and well-respected freedom activist.
Members of the National Coordination Commission are committed to three principles: “No” to foreign military intervention, “No” to religious and sectarian instigation, and “No” to violence and the militarization of the revolution.
The Syrian National Council (SNC) is the largest and most significant Syrian opposition grouping in exile, and the main point of reference for outside countries that support the opposition.
The Damascus Declaration (DD) is an umbrella opposition coalition named after a statement drafted in 2005 by numerous opposition groups and individuals demanding a multiparty democracy in Syria. It calls for a gradual and peaceful transition to democracy and the equality of all citizens in a secular and sovereign Syria.