Rochel Junior

 Suwayda - Since the establishment of what was called the “Syrian Salvation Government” in 2017, led by Abu Mohammad al-Jolani as the political arm of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, its declared goal was to manage the territories under the group’s control. In reality, however, it quickly evolved into a theocratic authority accused of widespread human rights violations across multiple regions of Syria.

Instead of steering Syria toward reconstruction and justice, the country descended deeper into chaos and lawlessness after the jihadists of HTS took power. Hopes for democracy and civil governance have been replaced with the specter of a new Afghanistan — amid international negligence and regional complicity.

A Government That Lost Legitimacy and Trust

Jehan Al-Awwam, a writer from As-Suwayda in southern Syria, explains:
“The so-called ‘Salvation Government’ that began in Idlib took over Damascus after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. It didn’t take long for its sectarian and religiously extreme nature to emerge.”

She continues: “The violations began with the coastal events, then the assaults on churches in Damascus, followed by looting of public property. The attacks later spread to Jaramana, Sahnaya, Ash al-Warour, and Al-Sumariyah — where residents were displaced from their homes. Recently, the violence escalated in As-Suwayda after locals demanded a democratic constitution inclusive of all Syrians. The government’s response was a military assault accompanied by killing, displacement, and violations that spared neither life nor dignity.”

According to Al-Awwam, the most alarming aspect is the absence of accountability:
“No investigations, no trials — nothing. On the contrary, interim Prime Minister Ahmad Al-Shar’a publicly thanked the attackers, deeply betraying the people of As-Suwayda. To make matters worse, the Minister of Culture appeared alongside Qusay Al-Shammari, one of those accused of committing massacres — effectively legitimizing criminals instead of prosecuting them.”

She adds: “Al-Jolani’s government does not punish perpetrators; it rewards them, leaving victims without justice. This has made it a government devoid of legitimacy and popular acceptance — unfit to manage civil affairs. Inside Syria, we live under a de facto power that blocks aid routes, imposes levies on convoys, and fills schools with displaced people while preventing citizens from traveling to Damascus. Internationally, it has presented itself to the world as an incompetent, extremist authority.”

 

Systematic Exclusion and the Cover-Up of Terror

Attorney Shorouk Abu Zeidan from the Bar Association in As-Suwayda echoes this view:
“From the moment it seized Damascus, the so-called interim government adopted exclusionary policies. It replicated the structure of the Idlib-based Salvation Government, filling its ranks with HTS affiliates.”

She points to the so-called ‘Victory Conference’: “It gathered factions loyal to HTS and appointed a president who represents not the Syrian people, but a single ideological color. The government has consistently sidelined minorities, and even official female spokespersons diminished women’s roles in society. State media reinforced the dominance of the executive branch over both the judiciary and the legislature. Its leader, Ahmad Al-Shar’a, is himself on international terrorism lists.”

Regarding the massacres, she explains: “The coastal incidents and what followed proved that HTS’s ‘General Security’ was directly involved. Yet, the interim government turned a blind eye. In As-Suwayda, under the pretext of restoring order, security forces and defense units entered the area — resulting in thousands of casualties, hundreds of kidnappings, and the displacement of entire villages. Thirty-five villages were burned to the ground. Instead of standing with the victims, the government justified the perpetrators’ actions.”

Abu Zeidan describes one of the most shocking scenes: “The Minister of Culture appeared next to one of the jihadists who took part in the attack on As-Suwayda - a man who boasted of kidnapping women and threatening to kill Druze civilians. That image alone confirms the government’s stance: it not only ignores extremism but grants it an official blessing.”