The Syrian Future Movement is following with great concern the news circulating about the National Guard in Suwaida preventing 53 male and female students from the Suwaida governorate from traveling to Damascus via the Umm al-Zaytoun checkpoint, citing security measures related to arrests.
The Syrian Future Movement confirms the veracity of the incident, as verified by its own sources and the media outlets that published the news. It notes that this is not the first incident of its kind, but rather a recurring problem in the absence of a unified national security institution.
The Syrian Future Movement reiterates the legal framework of this incident, as these measures, whatever their motives, constitute a violation of Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966) and Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantee freedom of movement for citizens within their state’s borders. Furthermore, it points out that imposing collective restrictions on civilians without individual security or judicial justification contravenes the principles of international humanitarian law.
The Syrian Future Movement relies on the following statistics and reports to illustrate the repercussions of the crisis in the province:
- Displacement Scale: More than 190,000 people have been displaced from the Suwaida Governorate and surrounding areas, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
- Documented Victims: The final report of the National Commission of Inquiry into the Suwaida events (March 18, 2026) documented the deaths of 1,760 people and injuries to 2,188 others, with 90 missing persons.
- International Report: The report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI), issued on March 27, 2026, indicated the killing of 1,707 people, the majority of whom were civilians, and the displacement of 200,000 people, while documenting violations that may amount to war crimes.
The Syrian Future Movement reiterates its firm stance on these issues, previously expressed in its statement dated October 6, 2025, entitled “Arbitrary Measures Imposed on the Residents of Suwaida Governorate” (available on the Movement’s official website: sfuturem.org), in which it called for addressing the problem of the proliferation of weapons and the absence of security controls.
The Syrian Future Movement rejects any measure that impedes students’ right to education and considers freedom of movement between governorates a fundamental right that cannot be compromised under any security pretext other than individual and specific judicial rulings.
Based on the above, the Syrian Future Movement demands:
- That all relevant parties (the Syrian Interim Government, the National Guard forces, and any local armed group) respect the right of students and citizens to freedom of movement and immediately remove the arbitrary checkpoints.
- That an investigation be conducted into this specific incident by an impartial body (if one exists), to identify the entity that issued the order to restrict movement, and that deterrent measures be taken against those responsible.
- The immediate commencement of a comprehensive national dialogue in the Suwaida Governorate, encompassing all components and security, religious, and civil leaders, to reach a unified formula for managing local security within the framework of the rule of law and state institutions.
- The establishment of a clear timetable for disarming all armed groups not affiliated with the state and integrating them into a single national security institution, ensuring that such incidents are not repeated.
The Syrian Future Movement affirms that Syria’s future will not be built on mutual violations, but rather on respect for the law and human rights, and on serious dialogue based on overarching national interests, far removed from the language of threats and prejudgments. We believe that there is no future for Syria without a state, and no state without the rule of law.
