Syrian government raids houses, seeks bribes in Hama
HAMA, Syria (North Press) – On Thursday, residents of the city of Hama, central Syria, expressed their anger regarding a campaign by the military police of Syrian government forces seeking bribes through searching of wanted for the military reserve and compulsory services.
“Yesterday, several members of the military police came to my home and asked for my son, who is wanted for military service and is residing abroad,” Hama resident Fawaz al-Qayisi (a pseudonym) told North Press.
“For more than two years, military police members have not asked for my wanted son; however, they came today to ask for bribes,” he added.
“The government resorts to such procedures in order to collect money and bribes,” resident of Hama Hisham al-Nimra (a pseudonym) said.
“A military police member came to the shop where I work to ask for my children, who evaded the compulsory military service and fled outside the country,” he added to North Press.
He pointed out, “The member took some items from the shop worth about 7,000 Syrian pounds and said that he took them for the official responsible for him and then headed to others for the same purpose.”