22,000 former Syrian soldiers remain detained: Haitham Manna'
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Haitham Manna' says 22,000 ex-Syrian army soldiers remain detained in harsh conditions as Syria faces deep poverty and marginalization post-Assad regime.
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A prison jumpsuit is hung inside the Saydnaya military prison on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025 (AP)
Around 22,000 Syrian army soldiers who laid down their arms near the end of President Bashar al-Assad’s rule “remain imprisoned under dire conditions,” according to Haitham Manna', a member of the Syrian National Bloc, who spoke to Al Mayadeen.
He explained that “the scenario in Syria was unclear even in its early stages,” noting that the operation at the time was called “Deterring the Aggression.” An appeal was later made to the UN Security Council to issue a resolution on the armed groups, but there were fears that granting them international protection “could eventually bring them to power.”
For the Israelis, Manna' said, Damascus “has already fallen militarily,” as the Syrian army “no longer has the capacity to defend the capital after the destruction of its military capabilities.” He also revealed that some figures are prepared to make major concessions to remain in power, pointing to leaked recordings of talks held with Israeli officials.
The opposition figure warned that “the worst-case scenario had been expected, but no one could have imagined it would reach this level of devastation,” particularly with poverty now affecting “96% of the population.” Despite this, he emphasized, “Syria possesses enormous human potential,” which the authorities continue to marginalize or exclude for fear it might threaten their control.
He went on to say that efforts continue “day and night to revive the spirit of hope and build a state of citizenship for all Syrians,” lamenting that the people have paid a heavy price and that “victims can be found everywhere.”
The path forward, he stressed, “cannot be sectarian,” nor can the current regime secure its future through “official receptions, media propaganda, or the manipulation of public opinion.”
Concluding his remarks, Manna' said he “cannot visit Damascus and see those masked killers ruling it,” insisting that Syria “must return to its people”, a hope he still holds onto, believing Syrians deserve “a better reality than the one they live in today.”
