Damascus Applies Old Decree to Hold Activist Hassan Akkad

Damascus continues to apply Decree 66 from the prior era to hold figures such as Hassan Akkad, informed sources shared with this publication on Sunday.

Rights advocate and prize-winning filmmaker Akkad was taken into custody in Damascus on Wednesday due to online messages urging affluent business leaders to deliver on funding commitments for Syrian rebuilding projects, based on statements from his contacts and regional news outlets.

The rule targets libel, false claims, and material viewed as an offense against the Constitution, yet observers note it frequently serves to quiet reporters and advocates who question officials.

This situation shows how current leaders apply prior regime statutes to target critics under Decree 66, according to a specialist who requested anonymity. Judicial overhaul is needed since such measures served as instruments against dissenters. The former system sought a single accepted account.

Akkad, who started the Give Us the Money That You Owe campaign, was detained following a report submitted by Syrian reporter Mousa al-Omar, as covered by Al Jazeera.

I regret the outcome for Hassan stemming from his errors and pursued the proper route via cyber rules. All commitments totaling 700000 dollars in initiatives and funds were delivered as donations, al-Omar stated to the Qatar-based outlet, noting he directed his legal team to withdraw the filing.

Earlier this month Akkad referenced matters greater than himself and Mousa al-Omar via Instagram and pledged further details once secure.

Public Prosecutor Judge Hossam Khattab informed Al Jazeera that proceedings against Akkad ended, yet the outlet indicated the advocate is still held.

Akkad Confronts Several Legal Matters

Observers reported that officers in civilian attire detained him at a cafe in the capital during a gathering with reporters. Celine Kasem, an advocate present, said the officers supplied no identification, detention order, or proof of authority to hold Akkad.

Hassan entered custody and now faces several proceedings with his legal team. Continued use of the inherited legal structure from the prior regime is regrettable, she posted. This disregards the costs of the uprising and those harmed by these rules. All recognize that creating a fresh charter and updating the full legal code requires duration. In the interim the statutes must not be misused.

Akkad, who holds British citizenship as well, endured prior detention under the Assad government for recording protests against authorities. He left Syria in 2015 following an attack by regime members and later recounted his experiences in the award-winning BBC film Exodus Our Journey to Europe. He later helped direct the Netflix production Convergence Courage in a Crisis.

Yasser Abbas, spokesperson for the group seeking repeal of Decree 66, and Engineer Ibrahim Sheikh Al-Shabab, delegate for the Mezzeh committees, were also held in early June under the same decree, per Alahmad. Officials accused the pair of systematic agitation, libel, circulation of inaccurate reports online and via broadcasts, harming the standing of public bodies, and prompting unrest through their critiques of the decree.

STJ claimed the detentions signaled to anyone pondering challenges to official policies, questioning local governance, or rallying for entitlements that they risked holding under imprecise statutes.