People protest in Syria’s Idlib over HTS arrest of people
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – On Friday, dozens of villagers of Deir Hassan village, north of Idlib, took to the streets protesting practices by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) and demanding the release of prisoners.
Scores of people of Deir Hassan staged a protest to condemn the arbitrary arrests of civilians by HTS and to demand the release of detainees, local sources told North Press.
The protestors demanded that HTS stops the “authoritarian policy” it is practicing against the people through storming their houses and arresting them, some of whom were even tribal figures. The last of which was the arrest of a media activist who conducted a survey on the livelihood conditions, the sources added.
The protestors raised photos of the prisoners and shouted anti-HTS slogans that condemned continuous violations of HTS in the areas it controls and the restrictive policies against the people, according to the sources.
HTS, established in 2017, controls large swaths of Idlib and Aleppo countryside.
People say that HTS repeatedly arrests journalists, doctors and also civilians on allegations of freedom of expression and criticism of HTS practices.
On Wednesday, similar protests were staged in HTS-held Tel Adeh village, west of Aleppo, where dozens of women participated demanding the release of prisoners in HTS-run custodies.