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Security Pursuit and Assault Inside the Church of the Cross in Damascus
In a painful incident that occurred during "Palm Friday" nearly nine years ago, a Syrian academic recounts shocking details about being subjected to security pursuit and physical assault, despite being a university professor and a Christian, inside the Church of the Cross in the al-Qusaa neighborhood of Damascus.
Witness Suhail Abu Asla shared his testimony: "While I was in the church, I was surprised to hear a man named Michel Barakat Azar screaming for his men: 'These are Muslim Brotherhood and they intend to blow up the church.' Immediately, his men drew their weapons and threatened to kill me, despite the absence of any evidence supporting these accusations. Colonel Mohammed Miehoub from the Air Intelligence was with them."
This incident was just the beginning of a series of violations against the academic. He recounts another event that occurred later, when Michel Barakat Azar, the leader of "National Defense" in al-Qusaa and brother of someone known as "the Whale," collaborated with Khalil Arabji to leak information about him to officers from the Republican Guard, who then stormed his family’s home in the al-Soufania neighborhood of Damascus.
Abu Asla says: "There was only my elderly mother in the house, and they threatened her with death if she did not open the door, informing her that they were looking for me. Later, one of the officers called me disguised as an employee from the electricity company, asking about my location. I told him I was in a meeting with Dr. Suhail Marshah at the Civil Engineering Faculty at the University of Damascus, where I was subsequently ambushed."
Upon arriving at the side door of the college, he was attacked by three elements, later joined by around 25 more. "They threw me to the ground and began kicking me all over my body, then tied me up and took me to a Republican Guard facility," the academic recounts.
He adds: "They confiscated my wallet and beat me, especially after the investigator contacted Michel Azar and Khalil Arabji, with Azar literally telling him: 'Beat him as much as you can.'"
"From the interrogation facility, they took me to my house in Jaramana. When we passed through a security checkpoint at the entrance to the city, they threatened to disfigure my face if I spoke to the checkpoint personnel, waving a device that resembled a gas stove. After we arrived, they stormed my house, stealing two million Syrian pounds, a Sony Ericsson phone, medications belonging to my mother, and everything lightweight and valuable."
It is noteworthy that Michel continues to live a normal life in al-Qusaa, Damascus, and regularly meets with the Whale's gang in his shop.
The testimony goes beyond security violations, indicating Michel Azar and his associates' involvement in corruption and illegal trade, highlighting the necessity for a formal investigation into these matters.
