Syria: Famous cartoonist attacked

26 Aug 11 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost

Syrian political cartoonist Ali Farzat was abducted for several hours yesterday while driving home from his office in Damascus. The masked members of security forces broke Farzat’s left hand, which he uses to draw his famous cartoons, and burnt him with lit cigarettes before dumping him on the side of the road with a bag over his head. Some of his drawings as well as his belongings were confiscated.

Syria: Attacks on journalists continue

18 Aug 11 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost

Members of security forces attacked the Damascus home of the family of Moussa Al-Omar, a journalist based in London on 11 August. A host for Al-Hiwar TV, Al-Omar has interviewed many Syrian dissidents on his programme. Also on the same day, Myriam Haddad, a reporter for Mouqarabat was kidnapped while at a cafe in Damascus, and journalist Sami Al-Halabi was also arrested following a severe beating in the city of Suwayda.

Syria: forces storm Hama ahead of Ramadan

01 Aug 11 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost

Syrian forces stormed the opposition stronghold of Hama on Sunday, in a bid to crush demonstrations before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. By this morning (1 August), the death toll had been reported to have reached 84. The head of the political department of the Syrian army, Lieutenant General Riad Haddad, called the attacks on some cities an “indispensable necessity” to defend and protect the country. With Friday prayers having been a major rallying point for protests, more frequent visits to mosques during Ramadan might raise the potential for more regular demonstrations. But the weekend’s crackdown may well spur more protests and widespread violence during the holy period. Meanwhile, foreign journalists remain banned from Syria, leaving much reporting in the hands of activists and citizen journalists, who face considerable risk.