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Lawsuit Against Aleppo Journalist Turns Into Campaign Calling for City Council Chief’s Dismissal
A lawsuit filed by Aleppo City Council Chief Talal al-Jabri against journalist Abdulrahman Ismail has turned into a widespread social media campaign calling for al-Jabri’s dismissal, with the hashtag “Dismiss the Head of Aleppo City Council” trending widely across Syria.
Al-Jabri filed the lawsuit against Ismail, who is known for criticizing the performance of government institutions in Aleppo province and the deteriorating state of public services there. In a post on his personal page, Ismail said that the lawsuit accused him of “incitement to murder.” He also claimed that the case had been expedited through what he described as unlawful procedures and referred to the Criminal Security branch.
The journalist said he would continue his work and would not back down in the face of what he called “thuggery.” He called on various political forces and parties to join the campaign demanding the dismissal of the head of Aleppo City Council.
Abdulrahman Ismail, who is from Aleppo and lives in Azaz, is known for monitoring government performance and overseeing the work of officials after shifting from revolutionary activism to covering administrative and service-related issues.
Ismail publishes near-daily content addressing the state of public services in Aleppo province and monitoring the performance of officials and their projects. He highlights what he considers shortcomings in implementation, management, and governance. He has also previously called on several officials to resign, criticizing what he describes as a lack of expertise and effectiveness in managing public affairs.
As of the time of publication, no official clarification had been issued by the head of Aleppo City Council regarding the circumstances of the lawsuit or the allegations made by the journalist concerning the procedures through which the case was referred.
