Syria Notes

Aid cuts hit Syrian independent media just as they are most needed We talked to Ahmad Primo of Verify Syria, Yara Bader of Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression, Kholoud Helmi of Enab Baladi, and Camilla Bruun Randrup of International Media Support. www.syrianotes.org/2025/05/free...

Reconstruction is critical to Syria’s economic recovery, transitional justice, and social cohesion.  But authorities are depending on private investment and opaque deals rather than a transparent plan, leaving out affected communities. Jad Baghdadi for @timep.bsky.social. timep.org/2026/08/27/w...

Assad is gone, but their odyssey continues. For Syria Direct, Abdalla Najjar reports on the Syrians still missing and stranded in Libya. syriadirect.org/the-libyan-o...

Fair & unbiased trials of #Assad officials is the best way to expose the extent of crimes committed during the #Syrian conflict Our article explores the shortcomings in current trials & how the justice process must be reformed to achieve accountability syriaaccountability.org/fair-trial-s...

📌 Protests erupted across #Syria over financial and service grievances. #Education workers in al-Bukamal suspended work over overdue payments, generator operators in Qamishli shut down over new rates, and #Daraa farmers threatened to halt tomato harvesting as prices fell.

📌 Lebanese authorities arrested five people over an alleged attack plot against Syrian authorities in the coastal region, AFP reported. Explosives and ammunition were seized. #Hezbollah denied links to the cell, calling the allegations “completely baseless.” #Lebanon #Syria

📌 A senior Israeli official said #Syria security deal talks failed because #Israel refused to withdraw from the “buffer zone,” which it considers a “security asset.” Talks on security arrangements in southern Syria remain ongoing.

A new video from Syria shows M4000 chemical bombs being disassembled. These bombs were used in 3 attacks in 2017, including the notorious Khan Sheikhoun chemical attack. After that attack I pieced together their identity back in 2017 using open source evidence www.bellingcat.com/news/2020/04...

As a British citizen, Asma Assad comes under the ICC’s jurisdiction. A warrant could also be issued in the UK for her arrest. “She’s British – it’s an opportunity, because she’s from a member country that’s signed the treaty.” — @chloehadj.bsky.social et al. observer.co.uk/news/interna...

Two bombs exploded near a hotel ‌in Damascus where Emmanuel Macron spent the night, but his office says he did not hear the explosions. He met al-Sharaa soon afterwards. Syrian authorities say 18 people were wounded by the blasts. — @reuters.com www.reuters.com/world/middle...

After the announcement of 70 members appointed by al-Sharaa, the new Syrian People’s Assembly prepares to hold its first session nearly two years after the fall of the Assad regime. — @thenewarab.bsky.social www.newarab.com/news/new-syr...

Discrimination against pregnant women Syrian employee legislation promises protection for pregnant women, but many workplaces contravene the law. — Mawada Bahhah for Syria Untold syriauntold.com/2026/07/06/d...

Women and girls in Syria continue to be killed under pretexts linked to so-called “honour” in crimes that target their right to make personal decisions concerning marriage, divorce, choice of partner, and management of their private affairs. — Syrians for Truth & Justice stj-sy.org/en/under-the...

Why Syria needs to reckon with the massacres of 1860 — Asser Khattab for @aljumhuriya.bsky.social. aljumhuriya.net/en/2026/07/0...

The fate of Rania al-Abbasi’s children: How one family came to embody Syria’s struggle for justice Muzna Alnaib for @thenewarab.bsky.social www.newarab.com/analysis/how...

#Syrian military officials took part for the first time in a US Central Command (#CENTCOM)-led regional defense dialogue in #Bahrain with officials from 12 countries. Talks focused on regional security, defense cooperation, and the Strait of #Hormuz.

The Central Bank of #Syria reopened its #Idlib branch yesterday after more than a decade. The central bank governor also discussed replacing the #Turkish lira with the #Syrian pound in local transactions after years as the area’s primary currency.

#Israeli forces shelled parts of rural #Daraa and #Quneitra, including Wadi al-Raqad and areas near Abidin, Jamla, Briqa, and Kodna. #Turkey’s Defense Ministry urged #Israel to halt its attacks and called on the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) to act.

#Syria and #Lebanon signed an agreement establishing a High Committee for Cooperation and Partnership after talks in #Beirut between FM Asaad al-Shaibani and PM Nawaf Salam. Al-Shaibani invited President Joseph Aoun to #Damascus and left the door open to future #Hezbollah talks.

Syrian News Channel, citing a security source, said a planted #explosive device caused a blast at a café near #Damascus’ Palace of Justice. Five people were killed and 16 injured. The Interior Ministry cordoned off the area and launched an investigation. #Syria

Today, Antoine Kassis, a cousin of Bashar Al-Assad was sentenced to 30 years in prison in the US Antoine Kassis was part of a multinational drug & weapon trafficking operation which directly supported the #Assad government www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr...

Coastal Incidents Trial #3 - Assad Affiliates On day 4 of the trial, multiple witnesses testified on behalf of 4 accused Witnesses recounted that none of the accused were affiliated with armed groups or participated in the fighting syriaaccountability.org/inside-the-c...

‘Waiting for chaos’: IS adapts under pressure, betting on the failure of Syria’s transition ✍️ @walid-alnofal.bsky.social syriadirect.org/waiting-for-...

🧵 Driven by high property prices, Daraa residents are building homes beyond the planned boundaries of cities and towns, creating new neighborhoods without basic infrastructure and presenting already overstretched municipalities with a dilemma. 🔗 bit.ly/4wdHg2w

#Syria - Last week in Damascus, the trial of Wassim Assad kicked off just after a third hearing in the Atef Najib case, and just before the opening of another trial against the former Grand Mufti of Syria. www.justiceinfo.net/en/161045-sy... #WassimAssad #JusticeInSyria #TransitionalJustice

After public pushback forced a pause on alcohol restrictions, the issue has re-emerged through a quieter route: Syria’s new customs regulations. Alcoholic beverages and musical instruments have reportedly been listed as prohibited imports. — @haidhaid22.bsky.social en.majalla.com/node/331804/...

People granted asylum in the UK will be required to pay back around £10,000 towards the cost of their accommodation and support once they start earning, under new rules included in the upcoming Immigration and Asylum Bill, which will be put before Parliament on Tuesday. bsky.app/profile/jonf...

Mahmoud’s building in Daraya has no entrance or stairwell. He says the damage was caused not under the 2012-2016 siege, but during the making of the Syrian drama series Fawda (Chaos), filmed in the city in 2018. — Enab Baladi english.enabbaladi.net/archives/202...

As the White House has soured on Israel’s war in Lebanon, Trump has shocked many in the region by pushing an alternative: Let Syria fight Hezbollah instead. Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has said he has no interest in doing so, but Trump has doubled down: apnews.com/article/leba...

Arrest of activist Raed Hamdan on Wednesday over a defamation lawsuit intensifies public concern regarding authorities’ application of Syria’s cybercrime legislation. — Enab Baladi www.enabbaladi.net/814185/ English translation by The Syrian Observer: syrianobserver.com/syrian-actor... .

Latest UK statistics shows a 50% drop in refugees arriving on safe and legal routes in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. Refugee family reunion was paused in September 2025. There is no date for when it will reopen. — @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

As UN Security Council unanimously renews UNDOF mandate, Ambassador Ibrahim Olabi says Syria has met its responsibilities and calls on Israel to do the same. — Ruth Reglier radiofreesyria.com/un-envoy-syr...

The “Arab Belt” Project 52 Years Later Report calls for comprehensive review of land confiscations and resettlement policies, while safeguarding victims’ property rights as part of Syria’s transitional justice process. — Syrians for Truth and Justice stj-sy.org/en/syria-fac...