A western Journalist is asking me about “the strongest proof you have that proves the accusation that Jeish Al-Islam had abducted Razan”.
Before answering, I wondered what this lady might know about Syria and the Syrian revolution or even about Samira, Razan, Wael, and Nazem.
The crime is the abduction of Razan, Samira, Wael, and Nazem. They are four: Two ladies and two gentlemen. She corrects herself (As everybody does when they hear similar response): Of course … they are four, I mean Razan and the others.
Once again I point out: They are four, can’t be reduced to “Razan and her friends” nor “Samira and the others” and there is no specific order in listing their names.
I don’t know if I give the possible impression about us the Syrians, God’s Smartest nation! that “the Syrians redefine terminology and things, and answer the question with more questions”.
We have named the results that we reached “Clues/leads” to avoid the word “proof” which implies final, legal, and criminal indications. We have listed many of these clues in different places such as:
- On the abduction day, an eyewitness said that he saw the abducted four in a car heading to one of the military facilities that belonged to Jeish Al-Umeh. It’s true that the facility didn’t belong to Jeish Al-Islam directly, but we know that the man who was in charge of this particular facility was spared from torture and long sentence imprisonment like the rest of Jeish Al-Umeh members when Jeish Al-Islam brutally attacked Jeish Al-Umeh after the incident.
- Two unrelated female eyewitnesses said that they saw Razan in one of the Tawbeh prisons that are under the control of Jeish Al-Islam.
- Jeish Al-Islam attempted to clear itself by accusing Jabhat Al-Nusra, given the known hostility between them. On its part, Jabhat Al-Nusra has denied knowledge of the fate of the abducted four, although in same context they previously denied the abduction of Dr. Ahmad Bouka’i and turned out, later on, that he was released from their prisons. This argument might seem true, but it is not that accurate due to the fact that the clashes between the two militia started way after the abduction incident. At the time of the abduction, the two militia were in good terms and surely were coordinating on a security level, which they are expert at.
- On the matter of the laptop and locating its whereabouts, and the member of Jeish Al-Islam that opened it. This matter was widely discussed, and sometimes was doubted. But we know for a fact that the late Zahran Aloush was furious about this incident and scolded the responsible person and tightened the procedures afterwards.
- The shooting incident in front of the office of the abductees and the threatening letter that accompanied the shooting prior the abduction. The persons who carried out the abduction confessed that they were executing the orders of Sheikh Ka’keh, the Mufti of Jeish Al-Islam. The leader of the operation, and after confessing, escaped from the detention. He was the sole person who managed to escape from a detention place where dozens or hundreds of detainees were kept. Later on, he became close to the leaders of Jeish Al-Islam, and executed many operations in their favor until now, after he used to work as a freelance.
- Jeish Al-Islam launched an investigation, but at later stage tried to hinder it after the investigation started to spread wide and went out of control. However, this investigation ended up proving the responsibility of Jeish Al-Islam.
- According to the testimonies of detainees that were released from Jeish Al-Islam prisons, the investigators in these prisons mentioned information only Razan knew, which indicates similar investigation were conducted with Razan by the same people.
- The existing of constant motivation of the abductors, and their mounting records to eliminate all of those who oppose them.
- During the past years, many people were assassinated or killed under mysterious circumstances. These people had one thing in common which is the possibility of having and/or knowing information about the abduction or even the possibility of being involved in the crime.
- Many discussions in closed circles that took place with high-ranking or ex-high-ranking personnel in Jaish Al-Islam, clearly indicated its responsibility of the crime as a matter of fact. These discussions were trying to figure out what can be done to reveal the fate of the abductees.
These are clues, some of them might be weak, wrong, or fake, but the sure thing is it contains a bunch of facts that needs to be followed up to build a solid case, which will definitely lead to proofs and final results.
So, what is the strongest proof?
The proof that I have is strong and final, and it goes beyond the suspect, for now at least, but it proves a collusion, a collusion of ignoring the clues, and not following up on them to be clarified and solved.
My proof is the continuity of the disappearance of the abducted four and the obscurity of their fate, even after the displacement of the rebels from Ghouta and from the crime scene, and after seven and a half years of the incident, despite the availability of so many information and facts that are sufficient to build a case and to reach a conclusion.
The colluders are many, and possibly they were obliged to collude under pressure, or due to their involvement in something related or unrelated to the case, or for fear of confrontation, or even for their approval of the abduction of these honest four.
Activist, journalist, Assistant Editor-in-Chief of Freedomraise and Director of its main office in Douma / Eastern Ghouta, holding a degree in Arts, English Language Department, Damascus University. He is also director of the office of the Syrian Non-violence Movement in Damascus Suburbs.
