Damascus University economists forbidden from discussing decline of Syrian pound
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – On Tuesday,North Press obtained special information from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Damascus indicating that the university’s president, Dr. Muhammad Yasar Abdeen, is preventing faculty members from talking to journalists about the economic situation in the country.
On March 14, a meeting was held in the Faculty of Economics with the presence of the Minister of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection, Talal Barazi, through which “the doctors of the faculty were accused of being responsible for the decline in the value of the Syrian pound” due to their press statements.
“I have information but I cannot talk about,” one of the members of the faculty told North Press when asked about the fluctuation of the exchange rates of the Syrian pound.
“We cannot talk anymore,” he stressed, as the university president made a statement forbidding faculty from talking to journalists about the economic situation, especially regarding the exchange rate of the Syrian pound.
He added that Abdeen told them, “we bring you officials to talk to and discuss with them,” asking the doctors not to make any statements to the journalists without his permission.