Syrian protesters rise up against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham
People in the Idlib region of northwestern Syria are taking to the streets again in protests triggered by the death of a prisoner in jail, apparently through torture at the hands of security forces of the Islamist militia Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
The prisoner's family long tried in vain to obtain information about his condition. "When we finally found out in February that he had been tortured to death, we had to take to the streets. We couldn't remain silent," Hamed T. explained.
Hamed T., whose name has been changed, has been protesting against the Assad regime since 2011, when he was 17.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the death penalty has also been applied to 13 civilians and members of the military.
Hamed T. originally comes from another Syrian city but has lived in the northwest of the country for several years. Like many people living here, he is displaced in his own country. Some have fled for a second, third or fourth time.
For freedom and reform
On most Fridays, men and women of all ages take to the streets in their dozens, hundreds and sometimes thousands in Idlib City, Binnish, Darat Izza, Jisr al-Shughour, Atareb, everywhere in northwestern Syria where the HTS militias hold sway. Teachers, police officers, and engineers have joined the protests to demand their rights.
Idlib is largely under control of the HTS, which emerged from the Islamist al-Nusra Front. Over the years, the HTS has crushed many of its opponents and become the strongest group in the region, controlled by rebels and Islamists.
The people's resentment is directed squarely against this group, especially its leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani. The protesters have several demands, according to Hamed T.: an end to torture in HTS prisons, the release of prisoners, as well as economic and political reforms. The loudest demand of all is for the resignation of al-Julani.
Al-Julani: monopolies and patronage
His style of government has become increasingly "personalistic and dictatorial" in recent years, according to André Bank, Syria expert at the Hamburg-based Giga Institute, who says al-Julani now dominates both the economy and security in the region.
The earthquake in February 2023 hit Idlib particularly hard. "This has drastically worsened the already difficult supply situation for around 4.5 million people in the region," said Bank. In addition, there is international "donor fatigue", which means that much less external aid is arriving in the region.
According to Bank, al-Julani's authoritarian rule is heavily dependent on patronage politics and connections to the various HTS currents: "It's not just military status and money that play a role here, but also questions of origin, family and tribal affiliation."
Two-pronged strategy to hold on to power
In order to contain the protests against his rule, al-Julani is currently pursuing a two-pronged strategy. In March, he agreed to a series of reforms. These included an amnesty for certain prisoners, a new Public Security Directorate, elections for the Shura Council and a kind of advisory body made up of representatives from various citizens' groups.
His critics, however, say that he has not implemented many of these concessions.
In the meantime, al-Julani is trying to suppress the demonstrations. His security forces use batons and tear gas, and have set up roadblocks against the protests and several new checkpoints. HTS fighters are increasing their presence in protest strongholds and arresting more and more people.
A few days ago, al-Julani threatened the protesters. "We will not tolerate any individuals, gatherings, parties or groups that want to harm the liberated region," he said, referring to the areas controlled by his HTS militias.
Idlib: Life among the ruins
-
Mohamad Othman remembers his school trips to ancient archaeological sites in Syria well - he would never have guessed that one of them would later become his home. The family's tent is anchored with stones; they dry their laundry on a line stretched between the tent and an old stone portico -
Once a house, now a tent: for the past two and a half years, Othman has been living with his wife and four children amid ancient ruins in Sarjableh near the Turkish border, along with 50 other families. Maarat al-Numan – the Othmans' hometown in northwestern Syria – had previously been bombed by government troops. The area between rebel and government troops came under fire several times. Their only option was to flee -
Seasonal work to survive: Othman depends on seasonal work. Sometimes, however, he has to borrow money. He and the other families live among the ruins of the early Christian settlement from the 5th century because they do not have to pay rent for pitching tents there. "We did not leave our land voluntarily to live in a place that has been uninhabited for thousands of years," says Othman -
Dangers for children and adults: the children do not go to school. The ruins are their playground – an unusual, but also a dangerous place. Othman tells the Reuters photographer: "In summer we have to deal with scorpions, snakes and dust. In winter, the cold hits us." This winter it has been particularly bad: people in refugee camps in the Idlib region have frozen to death -
Mud and ruins in Babisqa: not far from Sarjableh, the ancient archaeological site of Babisqa also provides shelter for about 80 displaced families. Babisqa is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Mahmoud Abu Khalifa lives with his family in the ruins of Babisqa. He tells us that he once owned land. "We could live well off it. We also had animals," he says. "Today we live among ruins in the mud" -
Living with sheep and goats: some people took their animals with them when they fled. Mahmoud Abu Khalifa is one of them. During the day, sheep and goats run around amid the old stones, while chickens peck at anything edible they can find on the ground. Abu Khalifa stores the animal feed, as well as the family's possessions, in an old cave -
Wartime base: In the early years of the civil war, rebels used Babisqa as a base, operating militarily from old caves hewn out of the rock. Even today, cables and similar remnants of the opposition fighters from the time can be found there -
Longing to return: Mahmoud and Zahra Abu Khalifa have seven children. They all call the refugee camp in Babisqa "Kharrab Camp" – Ruin Camp. "The situation is desperate," says Mahmoud Abu Khalifa. After all, the Idlib region continues to be bombed by government troops. He wants a better life for his children. "Our only wish is to return to our villages"
Islamists are also divided
But in addition to the growing street protests, there is considerable unease within the radical Islamist group. The authoritarian rule of the HTS is being "challenged from within," says Bank. There could be an internal split.
These tensions were triggered by al-Julani's decision to arrest leading members of the HTS, whom he accused of working with foreign institutions and exchanging information with other parties. This provoked so much resistance that the leader was eventually forced to release the detainees.
Bank fears that these internal struggles in the HTS could lead to the return of the radical Islamist Islamic State group, which was actually considered defeated, as well as the Hurras ad-Din group, a successor to al-Qaida.
"In the short term, Assad is benefiting from the clashes, without question," he said. "At the same time, the people in northwestern Syria also know who is responsible for a large part of their suffering – so a defection to the regime in Damascus is unlikely." At present, the Assad regime's airstrikes are continuing in the outskirts of the area controlled by the HTS, adding to the destabilisation of the region.
Civil society alive and well in Idlib
Despite the repression and the threats from the HTS leadership, the protests have not yet subsided. Compared to previous waves, the current ones are characterised by a wider reach, greater intensity and use of violence.
"The current protests in northwestern Syria show that a Syrian civil society continues to exist alongside HTS supporters who are critical of Al-Julani," said Bank. Despite the war, people are still pushing for the same demands made during the Syrian uprisings of 2011.
Hamed T. is among those who can remember that protest. His commitment and fearlessness symbolise the ongoing struggle of many Syrians for their basic rights, even in difficult times. They have had enough of the politics of violence. "I will continue to take to the streets and demonstrate for our rights," he said.
© Deutsche Welle 2024