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t is a national priority: Criminalizing Hate Speech and Sectarian Incitement
Syrian Minister of Information, Hamza Al-Mustafa, indicated that criminalizing hate speech and sectarian incitement, regardless of its source, is a national priority. He emphasized the importance of implementing deterrent punishments against inciters and offenders based on existing laws, without waiting for new legislation, in order to preserve social cohesion and the unity of the national fabric.
In a tweet on the "X" platform, Al-Mustafa condemned the reckless actions of some lawless groups seeking to exploit social and political crises to serve their isolationist objectives by claiming that the government of Syria is imposing a siege. He denied the claims of a siege by the governor of Suwayda (Sweida), Mustafa Bakour, confirming that aid and commercial traffic have continued over the past days and are scheduled to continue tomorrow at the Busayrah Al-Sham border crossing.
The Minister of Information also condemned the malicious campaigns carried out by some social media users, which deliberately mock or gloat over the suffering of the people of (Sweida) due to the recent crisis. This is a rejected repetition of a pattern based on exclusion and incitement.
At the end of his statement, Al-Mustafa reiterated that criminalizing hate speech and sectarian incitement remains a national priority. He called for the swift application of deterrent punishments against inciters and offenders, based on current laws, without waiting for new laws from the People's Assembly, to maintain social cohesion and the unity of the national fabric.
In a related context, government sources told Syria TV that approximately 1,500 families have submitted requests to leave السويداء (Sweida), following the end of evacuation operations in the province in recent days. The sources indicated that 83 UN employees and humanitarian workers, along with 275 residents of السويداء (Sweida), have been evacuated as part of those operations. They also clarified that there were no civilians held by the Ministry of Defense or the Interior, despite reports of civilians being detained by various parties within the province.
