Muzzled in Damascus

July 01, 2025 – Syria – 

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) issued an urgent appeal for clarity and transparency after Hassan Zaza, a Kurdish journalist, was arrested in Damascus. Security forces reportedly took him from his home early on a Friday and transferred him to an undisclosed location.

Zaza, who runs an online news outlet and has contributed to a television channel allied with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)—a group banned in neighboring Turkey—is being held under murky “security concerns.” Government spokesperson Mohammad al‑Saleh told CPJ that the detainment is unconnected to his journalistic work. However, authorities have neither disclosed any charges nor provided legal justification.

Regional director Sara Qudah of CPJ warned that “secret detention reflects a nationwide pattern of press intimidation,” urging Syrian authorities to immediately reveal Zaza’s location, ensure his physical safety, and either drop any charges or release him.

This incident occurred over six months after Bashar al‑Assad was overthrown on December 8, 2024, marking the arrival of a new Islamist-led government. Despite expectations of a more open media environment, such detentions suggest that press freedoms remain severely constrained in Syria.

Independent watchdogs back this view. Reporters Without Borders has warned that any expansion of freedoms is “fragile” amid political instability and economic hardships. While there have been brief releases—such as other journalists freed within hours of arrest—the ongoing secretive detention of Zaza raises deep security and transparency concerns.

Historically, Syria has consistently ranked among the world’s most repressive environments for media and speech. Under the old Ba’athist regime, thousands of journalists were detained, abducted, or tortured. Despite a change in leadership, the systemic suppression of independent journalism appears persistent.

Reference – 

https://www.barrons.com/news/cpj-demands-answers-over-syria-journalist-s-arrest-352c7c83

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2606511/media

https://www.newarab.com/news/cpj-demands-answers-over-syria-journalists-arrest