Armed groups affiliated with the government in Damascus are systematically seizing civilians' homes. Families unable to resist the forced seizures are being forced to abandon their property or sell it at low prices.
In the Syrian capital, Damascus, armed groups affiliated with the HTS (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) government are systematically seizing civilians' homes under threat of arrest and torture. According to a report by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), more than 50 homes have been forcibly seized in the Ash al-Varvar neighborhood alone.
In the Barzeh district where the incidents have taken place, the mayor is alleged to have allowed properties to be seized without legal documents and to have collaborated with armed groups.
According to the SOHR report, the residents are being threatened with fabricated charges such as “committing crimes during the former regime.”
They are being forced to leave their homes in fear of arrest and torture.
Protesters are being subjected to physical violence and verbal abuse.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the local population has no means of resisting the armed groups. Many families are forced to either hand over their property to the armed groups or sell it at very low prices in the face of pressure. Armed groups affiliated with the government are attempting to justify these actions by claiming that the land already belongs to them.
The events in Damascus mirror growing sectarian tensions and violence across the country. Kidnappings and murders, particularly in Homs, Hama, and coastal areas, are seriously alarming the local population.
The legal uncertainty in the country, the state's failure to provide protection, and its refusal to hold armed groups accountable are facilitating attacks aimed at seizing civilians' property.
