On Sunday, June 22, 2025, members of the Internal Security Forces of the transitional government arrested civilian Mazen Arja, a civil society activist and agricultural engineer, after summoning him to the western Idlib police station.
According to information obtained by the Syrian Network for Human Rights, officers from the Western District Police Department in Idlib city arrested engineer Mazen after they served him a written notice on June 20, 2025, to report to them. The arrest stemmed from a video he posted on his Facebook account criticizing a local decision to build a mosque inside a public park in Idlib.
Legal Conclusions
- The arrest of civil activist Mazen Arja for publishing a peaceful expression of his opinion is a clear violation of Article (19) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right of every individual to freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of any kind, regardless of borders.
- The use of judicial or security control mechanisms as a means of punishing individuals for their peaceful expression is legally classified as arbitrary detention, according to the definition of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, particularly under Category II, where detention is due to the legitimate exercise of rights guaranteed under international law.
- As the transitional government’s internal security forces carried out the arrest, they bear legal responsibility. They are obligated to respect and guarantee the fundamental rights of individuals, including the right not to be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention and the right to freedom of expression.
- The practice of summoning and detaining activists based on their opinions is one of the most prominent indicators of the restrictions on public freedoms and civil society work. It violates the principles of international law, which emphasize the need to create a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders and civil society workers.
Recommendations by SNHR
- Immediately reveal the fate of Engineer Mazen Arja, ensure his physical and psychological safety, and enable his family to communicate with him.
- Immediately release him unless legally valid charges are brought and ensure that he is brought to a fair trial before an independent judicial authority that meets the requirements of justice, if necessary.
- Open an administrative and judicial investigation into the incident to hold accountable the individuals who carried out the unlawful arrest. Make the investigation’s findings public to ensure transparency.
- Provide financial and moral compensation to the detainees and their families if the unlawfulness of their detention is proven, within the framework of reparations stipulated in international law.
