Judge Ahmed Najm al-Alawi has denied the release of Ahmed Huwaidi, a correspondent for Zaman al-Wasl who has been detained in Deir ez-Zor for a week, despite a formal request for his release submitted by the outlet’s lawyer two days ago.
The decision relates to a case involving the "unauthorized recording" of expired medicines at Al-Kasra Hospital. The initial charges—"tarnishing the reputation of state institutions" and "supporting the agenda of a hostile entity"—were later reclassified by the Public Prosecution as "unauthorized recording" under Law No. 20 of 2022 concerning cybercrimes. This comes despite a circular issued by the Minister of Justice prohibiting pretrial detention in cases involving publication or non-serious cybercrimes.
Furthermore, the director of Al-Kasra Hospital—a former commander within the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Bakr Ahbash—has filed a new complaint against the journalist, acting on direct orders from the Director of Health, Nasr al-Khalaf. This new accusation, alleging the "theft of public funds," appears to be a deliberate attempt to bury the journalist under a barrage of false charges and legal cases, effectively punishing him for exposing the presence of expired medicines.
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