ALEPPO, Syria — The variety of protests demanding the discharge of detainees from the prisons of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which controls Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, have elevated up to now days, following rumors circulating within the jihadis’ and reasonable Islamists’ circles in Idlib that HTS plans to execute plenty of prisoners.
On Jan. 21, dozens of individuals took half in a mass demonstration within the HTS-held city of al-Sahhara, within the northwestern Aleppo countryside, chanting slogans condemning HTS’ abuse towards detainees held in its prisons.
The protesters carried photographs of the prisoners and raised banners studying, “You killed the rebels, arrested the honorable, insulted the nobles and beat free ladies. What else does HTS’ safety equipment go away to the tyrants?” One other banner learn, “Freedom to the revolution’s detainees.”
On Jan. 20, a bunch of girls from al-Sahhara issued a press release in a video recording that circulated on Twitter, calling for the discharge of the detainees.
One other demonstration towards HTS was held in al-Sahhara on the night of Jan. 19.
On Jan. 20, plenty of protesters within the city of Babka issued a statement in solidarity with the protesters in al-Sahhara.
The city of Deir Hassan, north of Idlib, witnessed an identical demonstration with the identical calls for. Social media accounts opposing HTS stated that the latter arrested Jan. 21 activist and journalist Abu Bakr Has for collaborating within the protests in Deir Hassan.
On Jan. 21, dozens of girls and youngsters took to the streets of Tal Adeh city, north of Idlib, demanding that HTS frees their detainees. The kids chanted, “We wish the detainees.”
One of many protesters urged HTS to free their husbands and brothers. The lady who spoke within the video appealed to the clans, notably al-Naim clan, to mediate with HTS. She stated, “We are able to now not proceed to stay whereas our husbands are in jail. We have no idea if they’re alive or dead,” in reference to the likelihood that HTS might have executed them, in accordance with rumors in mid-January.
The anti-HTS protests demanding the prisoners’ release are still ongoing. Girls continued to demonstrate, arrange sit-ins and issued one statement after one other to emphasize their demands.
However these protests and demands have been falling on deaf ears, as HTS continues to tighten safety restrictions and arrest opponents on varied fees, akin to membership of extremist groups that HTS is cracking down on, together with al-Qaeda-affiliated Hurras al-Din and the Islamic State, in addition to different fees that HTS doesn’t divulge to the households of detainees.
Chatting with Al-Monitor on situation of anonymity, a girl in command of organizing the anti-HTS protests in Idlib stated the households of detainees in HTS prisons have severe fears that their sons will get killed, as a result of the jail administration prevents any visits and refuses to provide any details about their well being.
She stated that these fears escalated early this 12 months with the information coming from inside the HTS prisons that the choice had been taken to execute plenty of detainees, and that others went on starvation strike in protest towards torture contained in the prisons.
She added, “We — the protesters who’re demanding to be taught concerning the destiny of our family members — do not likely know what the costs towards our detained husbands and sons in HTS prisons are. The detainees are identified for his or her opposition to HTS, for criticizing its insurance policies and for demonstrating towards it over the group’s control of individuals’s lives, its imposition of taxes and suspending the combat towards the Russian enemy and the Syrian regime forces. Many of the arrests befell in 2020 and 2021.”
Ahmed Zakaria al-Dolei, a journalist and activist, is among the many detainees. He was arrested by HTS in late November for covering news concerning the value hikes and dwelling disaster in Idlib.
Chatting with Al-Monitor on situation of anonymity, an organizer of the protests in Deir Hassan, whose relative is detained in an HTS jail, stated, “HTS continues [its crackdown] towards those that criticize its repressive insurance policies in Idlib. HTS is appearing with out an emergency legislation that permits them to arrest individuals in a revolution that sacrificed greater than 1 million martyrs for the sake of eliminating injustice and tyranny.”
He stated, “HTS’ ongoing violations towards the revolutionaries affirm that it seeks to impose its iron fist. This restriction and this cruelty is not going to deter the free individuals from talking the reality within the presence of the oppressor and tyranny.”
He famous, “Abdul Rahim al-Hassan, a notable from the city of Killi in Idlib countryside, is a type of detained by the group. HTS arrested him months in the past whereas at house due to his participation in protests warning towards the autumn of the M4 highway within the Syrian regime forces’ arms, and denouncing the Russian patrols on the important thing highway.”
An official on the HTS safety equipment who declined to be named advised Al-Monitor, “The protesters’ allegations concerning the detainees are principally incorrect. A lot of them had been arrested for prison offenses, and others had been arrested on suspicion of belonging to jihadist organizations making an attempt to fire up chaos in Idlib.”
Commenting on the rumors that there’s a choice to execute plenty of detainees, the HTS supply stated, “We categorically deny the rumors about executions, and we are going to work through the coming interval to open communication channels with the detainees’ households to ensure that them to intently comply with up on the circumstances and their detainees’ circumstances in prisons.”
