A year on, no information on Douma Four

Damascus Bureau – Syrian activists launched a social media campaign calling for the release of missing members of the Violations Documentation Center in Syria (VDC). Activists Razan Zaitouneh, Samira Khalil, Wael Hamada and Nathem Hamadi were abducted by unknown militiamen on December 9, 2013 from their office in the city of Douma, which is controlled by the opposition coalition Islamic […]

By Milia Eidamouni (Zaatari Camp, Jordan) - The tough circumstances and challenges faced by Syrian women in Zaatari Camp don’t stand in the way of Um Jamal, 39, now a single mother after her husband decided to remarry and return to Syria, leaving her with five young girls and a 17-year-old boy. Despite the challenges, Um Jamal decided to acquire […]

By Mariam Abdullah* (Damascus, Syria) - The famous thieves’ market in Damascus, adjacent to the public administration office of the Ministry of Interior, was known as a haven for poor people who would go to buy worn-out merchandise. It was a refuge for people with very limited income, allowing them to buy old furniture, mobile phones, watches, and used electronics. […]

Clashes erupted on Sunday, June 23 between militants loyal to Salafist preacher Ahmed al-Assir and the Lebanese Army in the city of Sidon in Southern Lebanon, killing 18 soldiers and scores of Assirs’ fighters. The battle, which started when fighters from Assir’s militia targeted a Lebanese Army checkpoint, ended on Monday, when government forces seized Assir’s security compound in Sidon’s […]

Hanadi Zahlout Hanadi Zahlout is a Syrian writer and human rights activist who has worked on defending women and children’s rights in Syria since 2006. Zahlout has worked on political prisoners’ cases since 2008. She was active under the name Hiam Jamil on Facebook and she wrote under both her real name and pseudonym for many websites such as Al-Nidaa, […]

Today the human rights organisation RAW (Reach All Women in War) has awarded the Syrian human rights activist Razan Zeitouneh with the Anna Politikovskaja Award 2011, set up to recognise women defending human rights in zones of war and conflict, often at great personal risk. RAW chose Razan Zeitouneh as “a brave woman young woman who has courageously spoken out […]

Bloggers and activists have gathered a list of Twitter feeds that provide reliable news from inside Syria on a regular basis. The following list was shared by Christopher R Albon and Saleh Dawabsheh on Facebook. For Twitter updates from Syria follow: @MalathAumran — If you want to keep on top of events in Syria, the first thing you should do […]