Omar Abdullah, a war correspondent and social media influencer, was arrested by the Syrian government last week in Hama.
This might seem sadly unremarkable in a country where the regime has systemically targeted journalists throughout the conflict. But what is unusual about this case is that Omar is pro-regime.
And he is not the only one to have fallen foul of the al-Assad regime over the past few years. Being a loyalist is no longer enough to avoid persecution and even arrest. In order to understand why, one needs to appreciate how the regime uses the press.
Since the Ba’ath Party took power in 1963, the press in Syria has largely consisted of official newspapers and TV channels and radio stations controlled by the Ministry of Information. These are closely monitored by the intelligence services.
But, following the start of the uprising in March 2011, when large numbers of “citizen journalists” began publishing reports of the daily anti-Assad protests, the regime was forced to rethink its strategy.
The official news platforms were deeply unpopular — even among those loyal to the regime — and could neither suppress nor counter the demonstrators or media activists supporting them.
So, the regime adopted the same tactics, employing its own citizen journalists to create alternative media platforms through which to disseminate its narrative.
However, as living standards continue to deteriorate — even as the conflict winds down — many loyalist journalists and media influencers have turned their attention toward issues such as the appalling civic conditions in cities and towns, and corruption — topics that the regime does not want aired.
Vague charge
Over the past couple of years, an increasing number of loyalist citizen journalists have been harassed and even arrested by Syrian intelligence. The reasons vary but essentially boil down to the vague charge of being “out of line.”
