The collapse of the Assad regime on Dec. 8, 2024 marked the end of decades-long oppression by one of the most brutal dictatorships. As analysts and experts, legitimate or self-declared, have been debating the geo-political implications of this cataclysmic development and dissecting the nature of the armed groups that toppled the regime, I spent the last three days thinking of those who carried their pens as a weapon for change, and were killed by an Assad, by his proxies, and by his allies. Samir Kassir, first and foremost. Gebran Tuéni, as we reach the 19th anniversary of his assassination. Marie Colvin, a first-hand witness. And countless others. Assad’s demise, no ifs, no buts, is a victory; their victory.
At the heart of this victory also lies an extraordinary group of Syrian journalists whose work, in the face of unimaginable odds, illuminated the crimes of a dictatorship and chronicled the plight of a people determined to reclaim their freedom. Through their reporting, investigations, and reflections, these journalists turned their craft into a force of resistance. They documented atrocities, exposed injustices, and ensured that the stories of Syria’s suffering — and courage — echoed across the globe. Their relentless pursuit of truth played a critical role in delegitimizing Assad’s grip on power and galvanizing attention to Syria’s plight.
Today, as Syria begins a new chapter, my thoughts go to these journalists who bore witness and held the line. I am proud to call some of them friends. I am proud that their commitment to freedom won them, first, the Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press, as a precursor to the most precious prize, their county’s freedom.
The authoritarian foundation of Assad’s regime started to crumble in 2011, when Syrians dared demand freedom. The regime responded with a brutal campaign of repression, which ignited a conflict that would engulf the country for more than a decade. But even as the regime tried to drown the revolution in blood and fear, it underestimated the power of the pen and the lens.
In the ruins of neighborhoods like al-Hajar al-Aswad, where the Assad regime’s bombs silenced entire communities, Inas Hakky’s "Open Letter to Jackie Chan" reminded the world of what was truly lost. Inas’ prose mourned the lives erased and the dreams deferred, urging readers to look beyond the rubble and see the humanity that once thrived there. Her words immortalized the stories of erased local communities, ensuring they were not forgotten amid the broader narrative of war.
Ali Al-Ibrahim, through his groundbreaking investigation "Forging Death: The Syrian Regime Conceals Its War Crimes," detailed the horrifying practices inside Assad’s detention centers. By meticulously analyzing leaked photographs and testimonies, Ali demonstrated the systematic nature of the regime’s brutality, stripping away its façade of legitimacy. These revelations became a rallying cry for justice, underscoring the need to hold the perpetrators accountable. Today’s images out of Sednaya prison are exposing to the world what Ali has described so precisely, years ago.
The regime’s carceral atrocities were not confined to torture but extended to the very structure of governance. Sultan Jalabi laid bare this exploitation in his investigation, "Syria’s Detention Trade: Quantifying the Value of 10 Years of Detention." Sultan revealed how the Assad regime turned imprisonment into a grotesque economic system, profiting off the anguish of families desperate for information about their loved ones. This investigation not only exposed a moral void at the heart of Assad’s rule but also became a vital piece of evidence in the fight for justice.
In war, the first casualty is often the truth. Yet journalists like Maher Massoud fought to ensure that Syria’s story remained untarnished. In his "Speech Land," Maher captured the psychological impact of years of propaganda and repression, exploring how Syrians reclaimed their agency by breaking free of the regime’s narrative stranglehold. His work stood as a reminder that the collapse of a dictatorship begins in the minds of the oppressed.
Equally powerful were the reflections of Roger Asfar, whose essay "Captain Majed or ‘The Father Commander’?" examined the regime’s pervasive influence on Syrian childhoods. Roger’s writing was both a reckoning with the past and a call to unlearn the fear ingrained by years of authoritarian rule. His words are about a generation striving to rebuild their identity.
Through the lens of Joud Hassan, we see how the Baath regime’s grip extended into the very fabric of Syrian childhood. In "Militarized Youth," Joud paints a chilling picture of generations raised under a system that weaponized innocence. From Soviet-style schoolbooks adorned with Hafez al-Assad’s face to mandatory recitations pledging allegiance to the regime, Syrian children were conscripted into ideological servitude before they could form their own thoughts.
Ayman Al-Ahmad’s "Father, Who is Michel Seurat?" offers a deeply personal and intellectual narrative of how Syrians wrestled with the regime’s Orwellian control over knowledge. Ayman recalls his father’s hushed whispers about Seurat — a name that became a symbol of forbidden truth. Years later, Ayman’s exploration of Michel Seurat’s works, particularly "Syria: The Barbarian State," revealed the analytical depth with which Seurat dissected the Assad regime’s apparatus of control.
Roger, Joud, and Ayman recount how even minor acts of curiosity or defiance were punished with cruelty. Their stories underscore how the Assad regime’s indoctrination program aimed to create an unthinking populace, and how those same children, now adults, rose to dismantle it.
As the Assad regime is now a dark chapter of Syria’s history, the work of Syrian journalists takes on new significance. They have not only documented the past but also laid the foundation for a future rooted in justice and accountability. Their investigations, essays, and reflections must shape public discourse, inform international advocacy, and preserve the memory of a nation’s struggle.
Today, the world owes these journalists a debt of gratitude. Their bravery ensured that Syria’s pain was not met with silence and that the regime’s crimes did not go unnoticed. For the Syrian journalists recognized by the Samir Kassir Award, their work is more than a testament to their courage; it is a promise to the people of Syria. A promise that their stories, struggles, and sacrifices will not be forgotten — and that the fight for freedom, justice, and dignity will endure.