Syrian refugees lose their homes
According to the British newspaper The Guardian, Investigative Reporting for Responsible Journalism in Syria (SIRAJ) and non-governmental organizations The Day After documented that the property of many Syrians who fled their homes was confiscated by others and the judiciary was used as a tool. for this robbery.
Due to the destruction of official documents in the country during the war, the lack of a central judicial system, the inability of people to follow the status of their homes or to deal with cases, there are no precise figures or information on how the circumstances changed. properties. hands in many cities.
However, a lawyer named Abdul Nasser Hoshan found that 125 properties changed hands in this way in Damascus alone in the first half of 2022. Hoshan said he found 20 gangs with an average of 50 members in cities where the majority of the population was displaced, such as Aleppo and Hama.
Noting that these gangs identified empty houses and seized them with false documents, Hoshan also claimed that the gang members included lawyers, judges and people participating in military functions.
THE THREAT OF “COLLABORATION WITH THE ENEMY OF THE STATE”
The news also included the statements of some Syrian refugees whose names were changed for security reasons. A refugee named Abdullah, who was afraid to return to his country while the regime was still in power because he had documented the regime’s torture and illegality in Syria, is one of those who had their home taken without their knowledge.
Abdullah, who learned that his house had changed hands from a phone call he received from Syrian police, said: “Tell the court that you did not sell your house.” He received the offer, but believes that this offer was made because it was known that he would not be able to return to his country and pursue his case.
Abdullah said that the lawyers did not want to investigate his case because he was the “wanted” person and that his relative, who allegedly bought the house, was a person close to Bashar Esad’s brother, Mahir Esed.
Abdullah said that meeting with his relatives or trying to resolve the issue through intermediaries was inconclusive because they were threatened for “collaborating with the enemy of the state.”
A woman named Iman stated that she rented her house from an official before leaving Syria, and now it seems that the official bought this house.
Noting that there are also official documents related to this sale, İman said, “I have no hope that we can get the house back. The responsibility lies with the corrupt judicial system and with the consular officials who made the sale in a place where we were not present.”
MAHIR ESAD AND THE 4TH DIVISION ARE ACCUSED
The Syrians who lost their houses and the lawyer Hoshan blame Mahir Assad and his 4th Division for the confiscation of the displaced houses.
Hoshan claimed that Assad and the 4th Division had relationships with judges and lawyers, could assign them, and cooperate with the gangs.
Businessman Abu Hassan, who lost his home, claimed that bribes were constantly being demanded, saying: “4. An officer in Tyumen can do whatever he wants because he has all the power in a powerful group. If someone is in the 4th Division, he has all kinds of authority,” he said.
According to SIRAJ and The Day After, although the houses offer an important guarantee for Syrians, the change of ownership represents a major obstacle to return. (AA)