As Lebanon deports and evicts Syrian refugees, pressure on journalists and advocates working to bring violations to light is also increasing, forcing some to leave the country or stop their work, just when it is needed most.
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.
Aspiring female journalists in Idlib face enrollment restrictions at Idlib University and pushback from family members and society.
In the last opposition-controlled parts of Syria, journalists and media activists face restrictions, red lines and retaliation.
Producing coerced confession videos under torture or the threat of torture is one way repressive regimes “keep themselves in power and tighten their control over the people,” writes Mansour al-Omari.
Arbitrary arrests targeting journalists and opposition members are on the rise in territories controlled by the SDF, which faces mounting popular dissent and intra-Kurdish tensions.
The closure of the Kurdistan24 bureau in northeast Syria by local authorities reveals a restricted media space, against the backdrop of mounting Kurdish political tensions.
The revolution has led to a somewhat greater degree of freedom, but also to greater disinformation as new challenges emerged for Syrian journalists in an increasingly fragmented country.
