In the city of Homs in 2005, where the streets breathed tranquility before storms would engulf them, the electronic newspaper "Zaman Al-Wasl" was launched through the initiative of Syrian journalist Fathi Bayoudh. The name, inspired by the famous verse of poetry "O time of union in Andalusia," was not merely a title; it became a symbol of reaching for truth in an era where words became weapons.
From Literature to the Heart of the Battle
The website began as a literary platform specializing in poetry and thought before transforming into a news outlet that kept pace with the aspirations of a new generation of Syrians seeking alternative sources of information. With the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in March 2011, "Zaman Al-Wasl" transitioned from being an ordinary news site into an openly oppositional platform. It faced banning by the Syrian regime, and its security apparatuses pursued several of its editors.
Leaks That Shook the World
Zaman Al-Wasl distinguished itself by its ability to access sensitive information, publishing:
2,056 images from the "Caesar photos" archive, showing the bodies of detainees who died under torture in regime prisons.
Lists containing the names of 8,000 detainees who perished in prisons.
A video showing elements of the Syrian army burning the bodies of detainees and burying them in a mass grave.
A list comprising 1.5 million names of individuals wanted by the Syrian regime.
International Files
In 2016, Zaman Al-Wasl was the first media outlet in the world to open the file on the relationship between the French company "Lafarge" and the "Islamic State" (ISIS). It uncovered a series of emails between company officials indicating its involvement in purchasing oil from the organization and paying it substantial sums.
The site also published a massive archive of Syrian intelligence documents, containing approximately 1.7 million documents, revealing crucial details about the operations of the security apparatuses.
Return to Damascus
Some time ago, Fathi Ibrahim Bayoudh, the editor-in-chief, returned to the capital, Damascus, after years of absence. He met with supporters and followers of "Zaman Al-Wasl" in a symbolic step affirming the continuation of the media role despite all challenges.
The Twentieth Anniversary... The Ongoing Mission
After twenty years of its founding, Zaman Al-Wasl continues its mission to uncover the fate of the detained and the forcibly disappeared, and to document war crimes. It relies on sources within the regime's institutions and maintains its reputation as a source trusted by major global media outlets.
Zaman Al-Wasl was never just a news website. It is a voice for truth in an age of bloodshed, a witness to the suffering of a people, and a memory preserving what the regime tried to erase.
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