Hassan Akkad, a British-Syrian activist and founder of the “Give Us the Money That You Owe!” campaign, was detained by security forces in Damascus on Wednesday at approximately 9:45 p.m. local time while at a café in the al-Malki neighborhood.

His detention appears linked to a legal complaint filed by Syrian journalist and presenter Mousa al-Omar over Akkad’s social media activities and public comments. Akkad had been summoned by the cybersecurity branch on June 4 and remains in custody, according to Al Jazeera.

The campaign stated that additional cases were filed against Akkad, though the complainants’ identities were not disclosed. Syrian authorities did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment. Public Prosecutor Judge Hossam Khattab confirmed the arrest was due to a search warrant but said the case had been dropped.

Al-Omar told Al Jazeera he instructed his lawyer to withdraw the complaint and expressed sadness over the incident. Akkad’s campaign tracks financial pledges for Syria’s reconstruction; he had criticized al-Omar for allegedly failing to deliver on pledges worth thousands of dollars.

Witnesses reported that five plainclothes officers entered the café, requested Akkad’s phone, and informed him of his arrest. Lawyers argue the arrest lacked legal basis and raises concerns about freedom of expression, especially given the use of a cybersecurity law from the previous al-Assad era.

Source: www.aljazeera.com