British-Syrian Activist Akkad Freed After Damascus Detention
The activist was held for four days after a complaint over his social media criticism and reconstruction fundraising campaign was withdrawn.
- On Wednesday, British-Syrian activist Hassan Akkad was arrested in Damascus after journalist Mousa al-Omar filed a legal complaint, authorities took him from a cafe in the al-Maliki neighbourhood.
- Akkad founded the "Give Us the Money That You Owe!" initiative to track reconstruction donations; he had criticized al-Omar regarding allegedly unfulfilled financial pledges made during the campaign.
- Al-Omar stated he paid $700,000 in donations and instructed lawyers to drop the complaint, while Public Prosecutor Judge Hossam Khattab cited warrants issued after Akkad failed to report to the Cybercrime Control Division.
- Akkad was released after four days in detention; on Sunday, al-Omar announced he withdrew the lawsuit, writing he "pardoned him for the sake of Almighty God."
- The arrest sparked concern among observers regarding freedom of expression in Syria, as Akkad was previously imprisoned by Bashar al-Assad's regime for documenting anti-government protests in 2011.
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9 Articles
“Why? Because!”: The Confiscation of Inquiry in the Public Sphere
Every time we pose a fundamental question—one that touches our fate, our rights, and the very meaning of the citizenship we hope to build—we discover that our inquiry is met not with an answer, but with a void. Worse still, we learn that the mere act of asking may endanger our freedom and our lives. To the question “Why?” there is always a ready-made, unyielding reply: “Because that’s why.” No elaboration. No context. Not even the pretense of pe…
British-Syrian activist Hassan Akkad released in Damascus
British-Syrian activist Hassan Akkad has been released from detention in Damascus after spending four days in prison over allegations linked to his criticism of public figures and social media activity. Akkad, a filmmaker and campaigner, was detained on Wednesday evening after being taken from a cafe in the al-Maliki district of the Syrian capital. His arrest was linked to complaints filed by Syrian journalist and television presenter Mousa al-O…
Human rights activist arrested by Damascus authorities over social media content
Hassan Akkad was arrested and remains in detention for a series of social media posts calling out wealthy businessmen for allegedly failing to follow through on pledges to help rebuild Syria.
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