Al-Jolani making life difficult for Idlib people, Turkish Lira making it worse

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Taxes are bearing over the people of Idlib, which is under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The terrorist group has left little in the governorate untaxed, leading to a great rise in prices while the Turkish Lira continues to devaluate. The currency was imposed by the terrorist movement on the people after banning the Syrian Lira more than a year ago.

Moreover, street vending, which was how many families managed to make ends meet, has been largely banned and left only to those tied to the terrorist group. Meanwhile, the group has been conducting daily patrols to pursue street vendors, fine them, and prevent them from making a living for their families. This, in turn, led to a rise in unemployment, along with a decline in purchasing power due to the devaluation of the lira and a rise in prices.

Idlib residents told Al Mayadeen Net that the city is witnessing a great rise in the poorest families after a lack of job opportunities and rising prices, leading to widespread thefts and kidnappings for ransom, namely on the side roads between the city and its adjacent towns. People are also being over-taxed, including taxation on services they are not receiving, such as services for streets that do not exist, taxes on all shops, and daily increases in fuel prices, driving the heating bill further up.

The residents have also reported that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has been making life increasingly difficult, by randomly storming people’s houses under the pretense of them taking in people that have dealings with the Syrian government, or their children or family members living in areas under the government’s control. 

1000s of houses and shops have been seized by the group

Moreover, some have been dispossessed of all their belongings, and have been put to trial by the group and investigated on how they communicate with their families and children. It has been reported that thousands of houses and shops have been seized by the group, and put up for rent in order to receive additional income, with their families being deprived of using them, even if the owner possessed a deed of ownership: mere suspicion is enough for them to do so.

Most international humanitarian organizations have stopped operating in Al-Jolani’s areas of influence after his factions seized control of the distribution of food aid, with most going toward his fighters and their families. Moreover, support for hospices has been discontinued, with their services being now limited to clinics. 

Private hospices owned by Al-Jolani senior leaders are meanwhile crowded with patients and have been prioritized in terms of services, drugs, equipment, and fuel. The prices of these services are however extremely high, while the free services that had been given by the hospices backed by international organizations have been discontinued since their staff has been driven out of the country following continued harassment and imprisonment in Al-Jolani’s prisons.

Media outlets have also been banned from operating in Al-Jolani-controlled areas, and the “rescue government” has warned all activists from publishing and circulating news on anything related to Idlib before receiving a permit allowing them to work in areas under their control.

Activists in Al-Jolani-controlled areas refrain from publishing anything on people’s day-to-day lives and livelihoods and solely report on airplane movements and their targets. Many of the activists have also been arrested and banned from operating without a permit from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.