Syrian human rights activist Muhannad Baraka leaked, on Tuesday, a list containing the names of 109 citizens from the Suweida governorate, for whom search and arrest warrants have been issued by the Syrian regime’s Public Prosecution. The charges against them include “sabotaging public money and state equipment,” at the request of the military judiciary and the investigative judge.
After investigating the names on the list, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed found that most of those targeted are participants in the peaceful protests in Suweida, which have been ongoing for over a year and three months. However, the list also included a few individuals facing criminal charges or suspected of being affiliated with armed opposition groups. Local activists in Suweida believe the inclusion of these individuals is intended to justify the arrests of peaceful activists by associating them with criminal cases, thereby preventing backlash from the community.
Lawyer Muhannad Baraka told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the names were provided by police officers and that the Public Prosecution played a role in initiating the cases. Baraka speculated that local police stations likely compiled lists of individuals they considered opponents of the regime, as had occurred previously in 2020, when search warrants were issued for 146 activists, many of whom had participated in protests, while others had no direct involvement.
In September, the Public Prosecution issued summonses for 40 activists, most of them lawyers and members of the Hirak General Authority, on charges of “undermining the prestige of the state and communicating with foreign entities.” Additionally, the Ministry of Finance of the regime’s government issued a decision to seize the assets of activists from the town of al-Qarya, sparking outrage among local activists, who accused the government of theft and abusing the law to serve the regime’s interests, fabricating false charges to imprison and expropriate the assets of political opponents.
Meanwhile, negotiations between the people of Suweida and the villagers of al-Masika in the eastern countryside of Daraa resulted in the release of several Suweida residents who had been kidnapped by armed groups from al-Masika. This was seen as a gesture of goodwill aimed at preventing further conflict, which had nearly escalated into armed clashes.
According to sources from Al-Araby Al-Jadeed in Suweida, the three kidnapped individuals from Suweida were released by an armed group from al-Masika. Additionally, individuals from the Suweida clans, who had been taken hostage by the villagers of Harran, were also freed following the intervention of Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, the spiritual leader of the Almohad Muslim sect. Notables from the Jabal al-Arab Free People’s Gathering, tribal leaders from villages like al-Lajat and al-Masika, and clans from Suweida were involved in the negotiations.
The local monitoring network in Suweida quoted Suleiman Abdul Baqi, the leader of the Jabal al-Arab Ahrar Gathering, who confirmed the warm reception of the people of al-Masika. He emphasized that such actions—kidnapping and the subsequent release—were unacceptable and did not reflect the values of either the people of Suweida or the tribes involved.
In the days leading up to this, armed groups from al-Masika and al-Lajat in Daraa had cut off a road leading to the village of Harran and kidnapped two young men. In exchange, they held seven tribesmen from Suweida. Additionally, on Tuesday, another young man from the village of Labin was abducted, further escalating tensions. This wave of kidnappings and retaliations stemmed from the arrest of an individual from al-Masika by the “Men of Dignity” movement, who accused him of being part of a dangerous gang. After detaining him in a hospital in Suweida, the group handed the individual over to the security authorities.
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.
