Syrian government opens settlement center in Syria’s Idlib
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) –Syrian government opened on Monday the first settlement center in the town of Khan Shaykhun, southern countryside of Idlib in western Syria, to receive wanted military and civilian persons from the region.
The opening was attended by government security and military figures, headed by the head of the General Intelligence Directorate of Syria, Hussam Louka, governor of Idlib and community delegations from Khan Shaykhun.
A military source, affiliated with the government, in Aleppo told North Press that it is planned to open other settlement centers.
The source, who spoke not for attribution, added that the Khan Shaykhun center would open its doors to settlement requests, starting on Tuesday from 8 am until 4 pm.
Those wanted for military and security purposes, the source said, would be free to go after engaging in the settlement, unless it is a crime or private prosecution.
Regarding those wanted for conscription, “They will receive a 6-month deferral, after which they can join the army.”
Abdurrahman al-Hassan, 33, a pseudonym for a journalist who works in the government media, told North Press that there is no time limit for closing settlement centers, as “it is an ongoing process.”
As for those involved in desertion or defection cases, they will be acquitted and returned to do their service, but only if they did not commit crimes against civilians or military personnel, he added.
Bilal Rajab, an original inhabitant of Khan Shaykhun, told North Press, “If the government is serious about this settlement, it must return our properties of homes and lands which it seized.”
The government must facilitate the entry of those who live in the opposition-held areas in Idlib to Khan Shaykhun, “or this settlement would be a complete failure,” he said.