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Public Outrage in Syria After the Arrest of Singer Omar Khairy
A wave of anger has swept through the Syrian street following the dissemination of a video showing the arrest of popular singer Omar Khairy in the city of Al-Bab, northern Aleppo countryside. According to the footage, Khairy was subjected to insults and assault by security forces, who shaved his hair and wrote on his face and body.
The video captures the moment Khairy is being escorted and placed inside a security vehicle, while he is performing a song praising former Syrian President Bashar Assad. The clip sparked widespread controversy, with activists describing what happened as "deliberate abuse and humiliation." The footage shows security personnel drawing words and insults on his face and chest, an act that drew widespread condemnation on social media.
Some activists claimed that Khairy’s arrest was due to his involvement in "forbidden singing," while others denied this, stating that the real reason was his association with the former Syrian regime.
Since Bashar al-Assad came to power, several human rights violations by security forces have been documented, especially in regions with Alawi majorities like the Syrian Coast and the Druze-majority city of Swaida.
Specifically, in Swaida, there was a documented incident of extrajudicial killing after security personnel asked someone about his identity, revealing he was Druze. It has not been confirmed whether the killers belonged to government forces, though some violations have been attributed to ISIS by U.S. envoy Toma Barak.
Amid ongoing abuses, President Bashar al-Assad has vowed that those responsible for violations against the Syrian people will face justice.
