Bio
Ammar Hamou
Ammar Hamou is a Senior Editor. Originally from East Ghouta outside the Syrian capital, Ammar studied journalism at Damascus University. He has participated in numerous journalism trainings in the US, Europe and Jordan, and has published in-depth research on the Syrian conflict.
Latest Articles
Fleeting recovery: Reef Dimashq struggles as markets stagnate
Following an initial burst of activity when the regime fell and displaced people returned, markets in Reef Dimashq are faltering and facing new challenges.
‘Day of unity’ and the ‘devil in the details’: Syrians welcome landmark SDF deal
Syrians welcomed news of a landmark agreement to integrate Kurdish-led forces into state institutions on Monday, hoping it would prevent bloodshed and prevent any partition of the country, while “the devil is in the details” of its implementation.
Yasser al-Aiti: ‘A Syria without political parties will revert to tyranny’
Dr. Yasser al-Aiti, the leader of the New Syria Movement party, discusses the current priorities in Syria, the role of political parties and the international community’s response to Assad’s fall.
Relatively few Syrians in Jordan risk one-way trip home
Only 3,106 Syrian refugees out of 717,000 registered with the UN in Jordan have returned to Syria since Assad fell, as crossing the border is a one-way trip to a country that is not yet stable.
Sectarian fears rise as regime figures hunted in Syria’s Alawite heartland
As HTS-led security forces pursue former regime personnel in coastal areas, sectarian rhetoric circulates online, prompting locals to call for a distinction between “the Alawite sect and the Assadist sect.”
Why is the Syrian political opposition clinging to Resolution 2254?
The Syrian political opposition, sidelined by seismic changes in Damascus, clings to Security Council Resolution 2254 as the roadmap for a political transition—and a way to stay relevant.
A new vocabulary in Damascus with the end of a ‘republic of fear’
Damascus residents speak with a new tone, using new words, as entrenched fears unravel with the fall of the Assad regime. Still, concerns remain about what awaits in a new Syria.
Cells, interrogation rooms, inscriptions: The need to protect evidence in Assad’s prisons
In the chaotic, jubilant process of emptying Assad’s prisons—including the notorious Saydnaya on the outskirts of Damascus—misinformation has spread and crucial evidence has been tampered with, SNHR’s Nour al-Khatib tells Syria Direct.
Restrictions on local journalists in northeastern Syria multiply
For journalists, northeastern Syria is a minefield of unspoken red lines. While the AANES says it is committed to freedom of the press, restrictions have proliferated in recent years.
Syrians arrested amid Gaza protests face deportation from Jordan
Atia Abu Salem, a Syrian refugee in Jordan arrested on his way to a pro-Gaza demonstration this month, is facing deportation. The families of “many Syrians” among the more than 1,500 people detained amid recent protests are keeping quiet, afraid of “escalation.”