A #thread about my initial impressions re the "General Policy for the Return of IDPs" submitted by the Ministry of Social Affairs in #Lebanon. “the policy” has a lot of contradictions, ambiguities, violations of basic human rights, an unprecedented politicisation of the #Syria|n refugee issue (even for Lebanon) with disastrous implications. /1

Despite the lockdown procedures in Germany, the trial of the #Syria-n Col. Anwar Raslan, the head of the investigation team in the #Damascus-based State Security branch – 251, “the internal branch” or al-Khatib branch, will go as expected on April 23rd. Col. Raslan has been charged with crimes against humanity (incl. the torture of 4000 detainees), rape and 59 murders during his time in al-Khatib Branch (Apr. 2011 – Sep. 2012). Raslan will be the first (and hopefully not the last) #Syria-n regime official to be tried in court.

#Syria's intelligence officers are threatening doctors and interfering with #COVID19 policies. the official news agency (SANA) published what it seems to be a threatening infograph asking people to "inform" the authorities about any suspected cases: "Inform..don't hesitate". #Syria-ns know what "informing the authorities" actually mean: interrogation & detention. Ppl are now more concerned than ever. They consider the virus to be a "taboo" or a "national threat", pushing them not to seek medical attention. They're afraid of the security consequences