Syrian Directorate of Education fires employee for ‘incitement against government’ in Suwayda
SUWAYDA, Syria (North Press) – On Tuesday, the Directorate of Education in Syria’s Suwayda dismissed Lala Salama Murad from her job for incitement against the Syrian government through her posts on her Facebook account.
Sources reported to North Press that the dismissal decision was issued and signed a month ago and was not announced until today, and that it was approved by the former Minister of Education Imad Azab.
The sources added that two days ago Syrian security forces arrested a young man from Suwayda due to Facebook posts criticizing the Syrian government.
Syrian Intelligence (specifically the Political Security Directorate) arrested Qais Nur al-Din Naim, an engineering student at the University of Damascus, while he was on his way from Suwayda to Damascus.
The arrest of Naim came on charges of hostile posts against the Syrian government through social media, according to what local sources reported to North Press.
Lawyer Marawan Nafaa told North Press, “The arrest of the student, Naim, falls under the Cybercrime Law, which was enacted according to a presidential decree issued by the President in 2017.”
Nafaa added that the law criminalizes writing or publishing social media posts, information, or statements that harm state security or contain expressions of defamation and slander against the Syrian government.
He pointed out that the Syrian government created a special court for this law, called the Cybercrime Court, which is closely linked to the Syrian intelligence services and the Information Branch of Military Security in each governorate.