"Your friend is he who tells you the truth." This wisdom applies today to the need to be honest about the experience and narrative of the revolution and the overthrow of Assad, and to protect it from deliberate distortion.
This protection begins with acknowledging the flaws in the prisons of Idlib and the areas known as "Northern Syria," which were run by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham before it dissolved.
Inside these prisons, a number of prisoners of conscience are still being held, arrested for participating in demonstrations or adopting positions that rejected Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham's policies.
This sensitive issue has become a winning card in the hands of those targeting the revolution, the new Syria, and its experience. The existence of these prisons is being exploited as a tool to undermine the state's credibility and pressure the government.
The challenge today requires a comprehensive review of the prison system in Idlib and its environs. The solution is not denial, but rather the immediate release of prisoners of conscience or their prosecution within a clear and fair legal process that guarantees their rights. It is also necessary to work to redress the harm done to all those who have been wronged, and to ensure that such violations are not repeated in the future.
Providing justice for the oppressed is not just a moral duty; it is a necessity to protect the revolutionary experience itself and prevent any attempts at infiltration or internal dismantling. A revolution that called for freedom and justice cannot be sustained by prisons housing political prisoners.
A Roadmap for Justice and Reparation
Ending this crisis is not limited to releasing a few individuals; it requires radical and transparent steps:
First: The immediate release of all prisoners of conscience who have not been clearly charged with criminal offenses, and the restoration of their dignity.
Second: For those with pending cases, trials must be public and fair, conducted according to a clear and independent legal process that guarantees their full rights to defense.
Third: Reparations must be made for all those who have been subjected to injustice and arbitrary detention, whether through financial compensation, psychological support, or social reintegration.
An Appeal to the Minister of the Interior
This is a plea from a citizen who does not aspire to a position or even an urgent passport. I call on you, as Minister of the Interior, to urgently address this issue. It is essential to preserve the dignity of the revolution and the state, which was founded for justice and freedom. The conscience of the revolution demands justice, and you are today in a position of responsibility to be the voice of this conscience. The revolution cannot continue while its heart is filled with prisons where the oppressed cry out.
We must heal the wounds of the past to build a future in which we are all united.
Hussein al-Shishakli - Zaman al-Wasl
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