The head of security in Suwayda (southern Syria), Suleiman Abdul Baqi, said there is no accurate list of people kidnapped from the city.
In a statement on his Facebook page on Wednesday, September 17, Abdul Baqi stressed that the abducted men and women are not held by official authorities but by what he described as “kidnapping gangs” that entered Suwayda. He added that the state is ready to act on any credible information to hold perpetrators accountable, urging local residents to cooperate on the issue.
He argued that the published lists of abductees include fictitious names “being used to advance projects serving only their promoters and to trade in the blood of Suwayda’s sons.”
Abdul Baqi expressed readiness to assist families in overcoming what he described as “the painful reality Suwayda has endured.”
He also accused “crisis profiteers,” whom he called “internal Daesh,” of falsely claiming that the province is under siege and goods are blocked, in order to sell commodities at inflated prices. He maintained that goods face no government restrictions and said convoys are being secured under the supervision of the governor and escorted by security forces.
Legal Committee Rejects Roadmap
Abdul Baqi’s statement came after the “Supreme Legal Committee in Suwayda” announced its rejection of the Syrian Foreign Ministry’s proposed roadmap for resolving the crisis in the province.
In a statement on Facebook Wednesday, the “Supreme Committee” said its response came after a “careful review” of the Syrian Foreign Ministry’s declaration.
On Tuesday evening, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates announced a roadmap for resolving the crisis in Suwayda, following a tripartite meeting in Damascus that brought together Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi, and US Special Envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack.
The committee said the Foreign Ministry’s statement contained a “contradiction,” as it called on the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria to investigate but simultaneously insisted that accountability would be carried out under Syrian law. It expressed distrust in the national judiciary.
According to the committee, this contradiction undermines the purpose of an international investigation: “It is inconceivable for the accused to also be the judge. International justice is based on independence and impartiality, and it cannot be reduced to local channels that long ago lost any legitimacy or trust.”
The statement also rejected the notion of the Syrian government as a neutral party seeking reconciliation.
Managing the Security File
Abdul Baqi, leader of the “Free Arabs Gathering,” announced earlier, in a video posted September 15, that he had been tasked by Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab to manage the security file inside Suwayda city.
He said he is following up on the cases of those kidnapped from Suwayda in the wake of the events of mid-July, while denying that any Druze detainees from the province are held in government prisons. He called on families to submit lists of possible abductees for investigation.
In the same video, Abdul Baqi blamed the spiritual leader of the Druze community, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, for causing the recent unrest in Suwayda and for breaking agreements with the government.
What Happened in Suwayda
The recent bloodshed in Suwayda began with reciprocal kidnappings on July 12 between local factions loyal to Sheikh al-Hijri and Bedouin tribes.
On July 14, forces from the Interior and Defense ministries entered to break up the clashes but were confronted by local factions after reports of violations by government troops.
Israel later intervened in the conflict, prompting government forces to withdraw and hand the security file to local factions, which themselves committed violations against Bedouin families.
Currently, the government controls over 30 villages in the eastern and northern countryside of Suwayda, while local factions control most of the province and its capital.
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