People in Syria’s Suwayda protest prosecution of activists by government
SUWAYDA, Syria (North Press) – The city of Suwayda in southern Syria witnessed on Monday a large protest rally, with hundreds of residents gathering to condemn the prosecution of activists involved in recent anti-government demonstrations.
Protesters assembled to express opposition to the government’s judicial and security measures, which aim to press criminal charges against individuals who participated in the protest movement.
Marching through the city’s streets, the demonstrators called for peaceful change and the expulsion of Iran and its militias, as well as other foreign forces from Syria, carrying banners with these demands.
According to activists who spoke with North Press, the Syrian government’s public prosecutor in Suwayda issued a list naming over one hundred individuals wanted for arrest. Among those listed are over twenty people accused of vandalizing government property and infrastructure, whose cases have been referred to military courts.
The activists explained that the others face charges from an investigating judge, stemming from their actions against the Parliament elections, which included closing voting centers and damaging ballot boxes.
One of the wanted activists, speaking to North Press anonymously, said, “These actions are arbitrary and an insult to the participants in Suwayda’s popular movement. They reflect a security-driven mentality rooted in fear of freedom.”
Press reports indicate that judiciary and security authorities in Suwayda have listed more than 400 people wanted on charges such as undermining the government and damaging public property.