The announcement by the spiritual leadership of the Druze community in Sweida, headed by Hikmat al-Hijri, of the appointment of Brigadier General Shakib Nasr as commander of the internal security forces in the province sparked widespread condemnation, given the man's extensive record of violations during his long service in the former regime's security apparatus.
The appointment came through the so-called Sweida Supreme Judicial Committee," a body formed by al-Hijri outside the framework of official state institutions. This appointment comes amid growing talk that the sheikh and his entourage are seeking to impose an alternative administrative and security reality in the province by appointing loyalists to positions of power.
Shakib Nasr is not a new name in the security services. He previously served as head of the Political Security Branch in Tartous, and before that in Hasakah, after transferring from the Economics Department of the Political Security Division in Damascus.
Human rights groups and activists accuse him of involvement in the persecution of activists, the torture of detainees, and corruption and liquidation cases during his previous tenure.
This move represents a significant escalation by the spiritual leadership, which is moving toward establishing parallel authoritarian frameworks, amidst recent escalating security and military tensions with government forces.
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