On Monday, the military police in the city of al-Bab arrested two media activists, Bakr al-Qassem and his wife Nabiha al-Taha, while they were covering an event in al-Bab, east of Aleppo. The charges under which they were arrested remain unknown.
According to reports, the military police detained the activists after they had completed their media coverage of the “Commercial al-Bab Exhibition.” The couple was taken to the military police headquarters, where Nabiha aha was released, but her husband, Bakr Qassem, remains in detention.
Syrian revolutionary movement activists have condemned the manner in which the police forces and factions of the National Army carried out the arrest, particularly of media activists. They criticized the arrest as unacceptable, especially without a subpoena or prior notification of the charges.
The city of al-Bab, located in the eastern countryside of Aleppo, has recently been experiencing escalating security chaos. The state of tension has led to increased security and military deployments by National Army factions, ostensibly to maintain security and stability in the city and protect civil and military institutions. However, these efforts have not succeeded, and there are reports of hidden motives behind these military build-ups.
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.
