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Visit to Check Property in Lahitha Turned into a Media Event About Return
A visit by several residents of Lahitha to check on their homes, land and crops was turned into a media event portraying them as a delegation discussing the requirements for return, infrastructure rehabilitation, and the provision of services, security and stability, according to a post published by the Sweida Governorate Office.
Last week, the residents obtained prior permission from Mustafa al-Bakur to visit their property. According to a source cited by the Sweida Center for Documentation and Media, anyone wishing to enter the village and check on a home or land is required to visit al-Bakur’s headquarters in the village of al-Sura al-Sughra, where he is based with several aides.
The source said the residents were surprised, upon returning, to find a post describing them as a delegation from the village that had met with Shahba District Director Tareq Adwan, in the presence of his deputy, Malek al-Zureiq. The post said the meeting discussed ways to ensure a safe and stable return, the village’s needs for infrastructure, electricity and water networks, and basic services, as well as compensation for those affected, security protection, and a proposal to strengthen the role of the local community in cooperation with Internal Security.
The source added that residents were pressured to be filmed and discuss return on camera, despite asking for filming to stop and making clear they did not want to appear. Some tried to avoid answering questions, while the district director did most of the talking. The residents remained silent for much of the meeting.
The Sweida Center for Documentation and Media had previously spoken with residents who had travelled to the area to check on their property. They said they had faced pressure to be filmed while dealing with authorities affiliated with the Damascus administration, and that their presence had been used in media footage that did not necessarily reflect their demands or views.
The incident comes amid repeated complaints from residents who have visited their villages to check on their property. They have described being compelled to appear on camera and having their presence used in meetings and media footage.
