Syrian activist Hassan Akkad released after journalist drops complaint
British Syrian activist Hassan Akkad was freed from a Damascus prison on Sunday, four days after his detention. His release followed the withdrawal of a legal complaint by journalist Mousa al-Omar.
Hassan Akkad, a British Syrian activist and founder of the "Give Us the Money That You Owe!" campaign, was released from prison in Damascus on Sunday after being detained for four days. He was taken into custody from a cafe in the al-Maliki district of Damascus on Wednesday at around 9:45pm local time.
The detention stemmed from a legal complaint filed by Syrian journalist and presenter Mousa al-Omar regarding Akkad's social media activities and public comments. Akkad had criticized al-Omar for allegedly failing to deliver on financial pledges made during a donation drive for Syria's reconstruction.
Public Prosecutor Judge Hossam Khattab confirmed that Akkad was detained due to warrants for failing to appear before the Cybercrime Control Division in connection with al-Omar's complaint. Khattab also noted that other plaintiffs had filed cases against Akkad for slander and defamation.
Akkad's release came after al-Omar told Al Jazeera he had instructed his lawyer to withdraw the complaint and stated that all pledges had been paid. On Sunday, al-Omar posted on X that he had dropped the case, writing: "My legal representative dropped the right and the lawsuit against my brother Hassan this morning and pardoned him for the sake of Almighty God… I was saddened by what he brought upon himself, and I wish him success in his social media activities."
Akkad, also a filmmaker, was previously imprisoned twice in 2011 by the Assad regime for documenting anti-government protests. After fleeing Syria, he made an 87-day journey across Europe to reach the UK, documented in the BAFTA-winning series "Exodus: Our Journey to Europe."
