After the Attack on Protesters in Front of the People's Council.. "Syrian Network" Calls for Holding Perpetrators Accountable

Following a widespread uproar caused by a video from the capital Damascus, showing a group of young men carrying sticks and batons attacking demonstrators in front of the Syrian Parliament holding banners that read "Syrian blood shed by Syrians is forbidden", a phrase derived from a fatwa issued by the Republic's Mufti following the events of March and the massacres that occurred at that time, today the "Syrian Network for Human Rights" demands the Syrian government to pursue those responsible for the assault on civilian activists last Friday.

The network stated in a press release that the stand was a rejection of the escalating violence in the province of Suwayda, calling for the protection of civilians and the promotion of civil peace. The participants were subjected to physical and verbal violent attacks by unidentified parties.

According to direct testimonies from participants and eyewitnesses documented by the network, a number of civilians, some of whom were carrying wooden sticks, attacked peaceful protesters minutes after the end of the stand, assaulting them with beatings and insults, resulting in physical injuries and a state of extreme panic among the participants, including women and prominent activists in civil society.

Despite the incident occurring in a vital location in the capital, security forces or nearby police did not intervene to protect the protesters or arrest the assailants. No campaign was launched to pursue or arrest the perpetrators, despite the clear identification of some of them in the videos circulated on social media.

The network emphasized that protecting peaceful civil activism is a legal, ethical, and constitutional commitment, and should be an integral part of building institutions based on the rule of law and rights protection, in line with the aspirations of Syrians after years of repression and violations.