The Assad regime forces launched a new campaign of arrests against former regime opponents who agreed to enter into the so-called settlement deals that the Assad regime imposed on residents of Rural Damascus and Dara’a province. Local activists said that the fresh wave of arrests targeted women. They warned of possible summary executions against the detainees as was the case with former military doctor Mu’taz Hteitani who was executed by the Assad regime forces in one of the accommodation centers which were set up to house the people of eastern Ghouta.
Local activists said that Assad’s forces raided the houses of former regime opponents in the town of Al-Ruhaiba east of Damascus and detained four young men of those who agreed to enter into the forced settlement deals. Regime forces also detained dozens of young men shortly after they returned to their homes in eastern Ghouta as well as in western and eastern Qalamoun areas. The arrests are taking place despite Russian guarantees for the safety of those who agree to enter into the so-called reconciliation agreements with the Assad regime.
In Dara’a province, the Assad regime forces detained about 40 people, including women and subjected them to investigation. The detainees were forced to change the mobile phone numbers that they used to have before the Assad regime regained complete control of Dara’a province.
Local activists warned Syrians not to “fall again in the trap of Assad and Russia’s false promises” of granting amnesty to those who agree to enter into settlements or so-called reconciliation agreements. The Syrian Coalition repeatedly expressed its outright rejection of these agreements which were reached under Russian guarantees for the safety of those who agree to them as all were imposed on Syrians under the force of arms.
Activists said that the Assad regime violated these agreements in various areas as it detained hundreds of residents of the areas where these agreements took place. The detainees included former civil defense workers, Free Syrian Army fighters, members of local councils, relief workers, and medical personnel.
Local sources said that the Russian forces did not try to prevent the Assad regime forces from carrying out the arrests. Relief organizations said that Russia bears full responsibility for these arrests as all the so-called settlements and reconciliation agreements were reached under guarantees from Russia.
The Syrian Coalition earlier said that these arrests exposed the falsity of the Russian claims of giving guarantees to former regime opponents as these guarantees proved to be empty and worthless.
The Coalition said that these arrests proved that Russia did not have the ability to rein in the actions of the Assad regime and its allied foreign militias as well as exposed the dark side of the Russia role in Syria. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Agencies)
