Maher Akraa
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maherakraa.bsky.social
Maher Akraa
@maherakraa.bsky.social
A narrative may color reality, but truth is colorless.

Design Researcher & Journalist | PhD Student at University of Zurich | Research Associate at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU).
(1/20)
Dr. Yasser Abdulmajid from Douma says Syrian & Russian officials forced him to deny a 2018 chemical attack. This thread reveals how fear and coercion shaped his false testimony—and how he’s now speaking out.
January 25, 2025 at 1:59 PM
(10/10)
The “Idlib model” doesn’t suit a modern state, says the magazine. While conservative Sunnis cheer Assad’s downfall, real tests of tolerance loom.
Will al-Sharaa’s pragmatism triumph, or will hard-liners tighten their grip? Uncertain—but hope for coexistence endures.
January 15, 2025 at 9:29 AM
• The Economist cites Marwan Tayyar, an art-house director, who recalls the 14th-century Mongol conqueror Tamerlane eventually calmed in Damascus: “You can conquer Damascus, but you can’t defeat its spirit.” ✨
January 15, 2025 at 9:29 AM
(8/10)
Diplomatically, The Economist says al-Sharaa seeks global recognition for funds & sanction relief.
• Turkish-backed militias & UAE-backed groups vie for sway in “New Syria.”
• Al-Sharaa must juggle sponsors while checking jihadists pushing strict Sharia 🤔.
January 15, 2025 at 9:29 AM
(7/10)
On women’s rights, there’s a clash:
• Notices insist on veiling; some offices have separate entrances.
• Al-Sharaa named a female central bank chief to show “modern” governance 🌐.
Will this balance survive the hard-liners’ pressure?
January 15, 2025 at 9:29 AM
(6/10)
Minorities, esp. Alawites, face a grim reality:
• Returning Sunnis reclaim Homs homes by force.
• Preachers in nearby villages, armed, demand “kuffar” convert.
• Alawite areas fear retaliation as “old regime remnants.”
January 15, 2025 at 9:29 AM
(5/10)
Another force: Ahmed al-Awdeh’s southern Sunnis (15k troops), who reached Damascus first on 8 Dec.
• The UAE partly funds him to offset Turkish-backed jihadists.
• Rivalries over territory & funding stir tension with al-Sharaa’s bloc 🤝.
January 15, 2025 at 9:29 AM
(4/10)
Security: al-Sharaa refused to reinstate Assad’s police, relying on:
• 13k–35k HTS fighters
• Up to 50k Turkey-linked Sunni militiamen
• 400–2,500 foreign fighters
All prefer smuggling profits over uncertain pay 💰, making control tough.
January 15, 2025 at 9:29 AM
(3/10)
The Economist contrasts Idlib’s strict past with “New Syria” in Damascus:
• Xmas, lights, mixed dancing now permitted.
• In Idlib, such acts meant execution or expulsion.
Jihadists steeped in harsh “morality codes” ⚖️ find this shift baffling.
January 15, 2025 at 9:29 AM
(2/10)
The new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa (Abu Muhammad al-Jolani), aims for a more tolerant stance:
• He halted seizing an Ottoman palace by NYE, despite a local jihadist calling female artists “sinful.”
• Allowed Xmas decorations, church crosses & mixed dancing—angering Salafists.
January 15, 2025 at 9:29 AM
🧵1
A dramatic shift has gripped Syria after the fall of the Assad regime on 8 December, leaving many violent jihadists feeling frustrated and 🔴 unsettled. A fresh report by The Economist (14 January 2025) sheds light on the political, security and religious contradictions shaping this “New Syria.”
January 15, 2025 at 9:29 AM
9) International Framework
ICPPED (2006) ©UN: Prohibits enforced disappearance.
CAT (1984) ©UN: Prohibits torture under any circumstances.
UNSC Res 2474 (2019) ©UN: Urges accountability, labeling systematic disappearance as a crime against humanity.
These frameworks must guide future legal action.
January 8, 2025 at 8:57 PM
8) 2024 Data & Ongoing Violations
Post-2023 ICJ ruling condemning torture, SNHR 2024 stats still show forced disappearances & systemic abuse persisted until Assad’s downfall.

Official civil records often concealed torture deaths, hinting many cases remain undocumented.

Source: ©SNHR, ©ICJ
January 8, 2025 at 8:57 PM
7) Key Figures
15,383 Syrians died under torture since 2011 (including 199 children & 115 women).
157,287 remain detained or disappeared; 86% by the regime.
72 methods documented, peaking 2012–2014.
Caesar photos exposed 6,786 victims, 1,017 identified.
#Syria #HumanRights
Source: ©SNHR
January 8, 2025 at 8:57 PM
6) 1 Forced Labor: Construction, carrying heavy loads, personal servitude.
Torture in Military Hospitals: Deliberate harm during “treatment.”
Segregation: Solitary confinement for months or years.
#Syria #HumanRights
Source: ©SNHR
January 8, 2025 at 8:57 PM
6) Beyond Physical Torture
Medical Neglect: Denial of treatment, overcrowded cells, unsanitary conditions.
Sexual Violence: Rape, forced nudity, threats—targeting all genders, often in front of others.
Psychological Torture: Mock executions, threats to family, forced confessions.
January 8, 2025 at 8:57 PM
5)Physical Torture Breakdown
SNHR organizes physical torture into 9 categories, including:
Water-based torture
Electricity
Fire & oil
Hanging/shabeh
Immobilization
Fixation & beating
Crushing/cutting/stabbing
Flogging
Throwing & dragging
Each sub-technique is designed to maximize pain.
Source: ©SNHR
January 8, 2025 at 8:57 PM
4) Aleppo’s State Security Branch
Leaked images from Aleppo confirm brutal methods (whipping, tire torture, shabeh).
SNHR cites these align with 72 distinct torture strategies—whips, rods, cigarettes, fire, electric shocks—all systematically applied to detainees.

Source: ©SNHR
January 8, 2025 at 8:57 PM
3) Notorious Devices
Methods like the ‘Magic Carpet’ (foldable wooden slabs), ‘Doulab’ (the wheel), and ‘Shabeh’ (ghost position) were documented since 2019.
These techniques stretch or suspend detainees in positions causing excruciating pain and potential permanent injuries.

©SNHR
January 8, 2025 at 8:57 PM
In Dec 2024, the Financial Times ©FT published “Investigators race to secure evidence of atrocities by Syria’s Assad regime” (Dec 29, 2024).
Leaked videos & survivor accounts from Branch 251 in Damascus and other sites reveal industrial tools repurposed for torture—amplifying the horror once hidden.
January 8, 2025 at 8:57 PM
1) Overview
Years before Assad’s regime fell, human rights groups (e.g., Amnesty International, Syrian Network for Human Rights exposed 72 torture methods across 50+ detention centers.
After the regime’s collapse in Dec 2024, new images & testimonies confirm a systematic pattern of brutality.
January 8, 2025 at 8:57 PM
🎥 In an interview with Al Jazeera English, Syria's Interim Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani addressed the future of peace talks with Israel.

What are your thoughts on this statement? Could this mark a new chapter in the region's history?
January 2, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Statements from Shadi Al-Waisi, Syrian Interim Government Minister of Justice:

What is the concept of implementing God’s law (Sharia)?
90% of Syrians are Muslims, and parliament will reflect their aspirations.
Sharia will play a key role in the next phase.

What do you think?
January 1, 2025 at 9:06 PM
10/ 🌍 Justice Beyond the Regime:
As more mass graves are uncovered across Syria, how can we ensure accountability and healing for families of the disappeared? What steps can be taken to ensure that no detainee is forgotten?

Let’s discuss. 💬

#HumanRights #Syria #TransitionalJustice
January 1, 2025 at 4:14 PM
9/ ❓ A Question for Reflection:
The Assad regime fell last month, and human rights organizations confirmed that prisons have been emptied. Yet, families across Syria continue to search for their missing loved ones, hanging photos in streets, clinging to hope.
January 1, 2025 at 4:14 PM