Syrian regime authorities have arrested content creator Shadi Qasso, despite his long history of promoting official propaganda, including public support for the ruling family and posing for photos with its members.
Human rights organizations and pro-regime social media pages reported that Qasso was arrested in Damascus on Monday after returning from Istanbul, Turkey, on charges of “publishing inappropriate content.” This comes amid increasing crackdowns by the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Interior, which have intensified efforts to suppress online expression and prosecute those posting content within the country.
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The specifics of the charge against Qasso, who appeared alongside Hafez al-Assad, the son of President Bashar al-Assad, in 2023, remain unclear. No official statement has been released regarding his arrest. This is consistent with previous cases where authorities have arrested individuals for allegedly violating “moral standards.” In recent weeks, the Ministry of Interior has released videos showing arrests in the name of “protecting societal values.” However, Qasso’s content is not generally viewed as immoral by regime loyalists, who incite against content creators, as his videos tend to focus on light-hearted topics, resembling traditional Syrian comedic sketches.
Qasso has faced a campaign against him since earlier this year when pro-regime media called for his arrest. This followed his appearance at a match involving the Syrian regime’s football team during the Asian Championship, where he was seen holding a Syrian flag featuring two six-pointed stars. Loyalists at the time accused him of “promoting normalization.” Qasso later deleted the images and video, and issued an apology, but was still accused by loyalists of disrespecting a “symbol of the state.”
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.
