Mother of Syrian Revolution Catalyst Expresses Hope for Assad’s Accountability After Son’s Death

The movement to remove Bashar al-Assad from power originated in Deraa, a small Syrian city situated close to the Jordanian border. It was in Deraa, on May 21, 2011, that the tortured and mutilated remains of 13-year-old Hamza al-Khatib were returned to his family, weeks after he had been detained during an anti-government demonstration. This incident, coupled with the torture of other local adolescents for inscribing anti-Assad graffiti, ignited extensive protests and provoked a severe response from government forces. While the Khatib family might be expected to rejoice at the collapse of Assad’s government in Deraa, no celebrations were observed during our visit to their home today. They had recently received screenshots of records from the infamous Saydnaya prison, which verified that Hamza’s elder brother, Omar, who was also apprehended by police in 2019, had passed away while in detention. Samira, the mother of the boys, conveyed her profound sorrow, stating that she had been anticipating Omar’s release from prison. “I was thinking maybe he’ll come today or tomorrow,” she said. “Today, I got the news.” Clad entirely in black and already grieving her husband, who had passed away less than three months prior, she expressed a desire for former President Bashar al-Assad to personally endure the suffering she had experienced. “I hope he will pay the price,” she stated. “And that God will take revenge on him, and on his children.” Her nephew, Hossam al-Khatib, indicated that the documents had been disseminated on social media by individuals searching Saydnaya for details about their family members. They located Omar’s file and distributed it online, aware of his relation as Hamza’s brother. Assad’s departure has exposed decades of oppression in Syria, leading many in Deraa to take to the streets on Sunday, elated with newfound freedom, as rebel forces captured the capital, Damascus, and Assad departed. Mobile phone recordings depict throngs of men moving erratically in Deraa’s main square in a disorganized display of jubilation, yelling and discharging firearms into the sky. This region served as a significant stronghold for the opposition during the Assad administration; evidence of intense combat is visible on schools and residences, with numerous villages scarred by tank shells and machine gun fire. The opposition in this southern Syrian area differs from the coalition spearheaded by the Islamist militant organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which advanced from the north and seized the capital the previous week. Nevertheless, both groups converged on the capital on Sunday. The Free Syria Army (FSA) commenced its operations here in 2011, after severe government suppressions subsequent to Hamza’s death prompted several active officers in Assad’s military to desert and establish a rebel group. Among these officers was Ahmed al-Awda, a poet who pursued English literature at university before transitioning into an army officer, then a rebel commander, and currently serves as the militia leader for Deraa Province. “You can’t imagine how happy we are,” he conveyed to me in the adjacent town of Busra. “We have been crying for days. You can’t imagine what we feel. Everyone here in Syria lost family. Everyone was suffering.” Mr. Awda stated that he was among the initial individuals to enter Damascus on Sunday, alongside HTS. He further mentioned that his first action was to proceed to the embassies and government structures to safeguard the occupants. “We took many of the civilian government guys to the Four Seasons hotel, and put a very big force there to protect them,” he remarked. “You know it will be a mad time, so I did my best to protect everybody there, even the government guys. I don’t want to punish them, they are Syrian.” However, he asserted that he would not readily forgive Assad. “I will do my best to bring him to judgement in court, to take his punishment, because we will not forget what he did to the Syrian people, and how he destroyed Syria.” Assad’s exit has brought about a delicate sense of unity among Syria and its varied opposition factions. Nevertheless, without a shared adversary and with external powers maintaining their involvement, their disagreements could intensify. Apprehensions exist that Syria might emulate Iraq and Libya, fragmenting into disorder. “We saw what happened in Iraq and we refuse it,” Mr. Awda stated. Assad’s forces were not the sole adversaries he had contended with in this region over recent years. Cells of the Islamic State (IS) group, which remain dispersed throughout the eastern part of the nation, also posed a danger. Mr. Awda claims to have combated them, eliminating a high-ranking IS leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Qurayshi, two years prior. With Assad’s influential supporters, Iran and Russia, no longer restraining IS, many in the area are apprehensive about a potential resurgence. Mr. Awda firmly asserts that this will not occur. “No,” he insisted. “I kicked them out. We didn’t push Assad out only to live under IS.” He now advocates for free elections, convinced that the Syrian populace will never again elect a leader who would become a dictator. At Deraa’s cemetery, the inscription on Hamza’s tombstone is fragmented, shattered by a government tank shell during clashes with rebel forces in the area, according to the family. “They kept hitting him even when he was dead,” a cousin commented. Residents observed quietly as the Syrian opposition flag was affixed to Hamza’s headstone. Beyond it, the graves narrate a history of 13 years of conflict: an airstrike, a battle, an entire family perishing in their residence. The conflict with Assad has concluded, yet peace in Syria remains elusive.