Action Group – Syria
The Action Group for Palestinians of Syria mourned Fatima Louhid, the mother of Palestinian journalist Muhannad Omar, who was forcibly disappeared in the prisons of the Syrian regime. Documents issued by the former regime, obtained by the Action Group for Palestinians of Syria, confirmed that he was executed in Saydnaya Military Prison on August 6, 2013.Â
Fatima Louhid, the general coordinator of the Palestinian Campaign to Uncover the Fate of Detainees and the Forcibly Disappeared in the Prisons of the Deposed Assad Regime, said in her eulogy for her son:
“My son”¦ the scent of my life and the story of my heart that was never completed”¦ you should have grown up”¦ you should have been here, eating my cooking, laughing, making me sad, and comforting me”¦ not being snatched from my arms and disappearing into a cell without sun or mercy.”
This announcement comes more than ten years after the disappearance of journalist Muhannad Omar, who was arrested by the Syrian State Security branch from his office at Al-Alam TV on February 29, 2012, on alleged charges of supporting the Syrian opposition, according to sources close to the regime.
Born in Yarmouk Camp in 1985, Muhannad Omar is a father of two, and his family originates from Marous, near Safed in Palestine. He studied Arabic literature at Al-Baath University in Homs and began his career in journalism with the Jerusalem International Foundation. He then worked for Al-Alam News Channel in Damascus, as well as local newspapers including Qasioun, Al-Nahda, Baladna, and Sawt Falastin.
Muhannad was known for his participation in the March of Return to the Golan Heights on May 15, 2011, and for documenting the humanitarian and political situation in Syria on his Facebook page, particularly after the events at the Al-Raml Al-Janoubi camp in Latakia, until his arrest and disappearance.
The case of Muhannad’s mother represents the tragedy of thousands of Palestinian and Syrian families who lost loved ones in regime prisons. The memories and pain persist, and the responsibility falls on human rights activists and journalists to ensure these victims are not forgotten.
The Action Group for Palestinians of Syria affirmed that the cases of detainees and the forcibly disappeared, including journalist Muhannad Omar, remain a priority for documentation, in order to uncover their fate and hold accountable those responsible for enforced disappearances and arbitrary executions.