- Born in 1974 in the city of Masyaf, he studied law at the University of Damascus and graduated in 1988.
- He graduated from the Faculty of Law in Damascus in 1997-1998.
- He is married and has two children.
- In 2004, he founded the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression and attempted to license it as a civil society organization. However, the former regime refused to grant the license, banned its activities, shut down the center in 2005, and confiscated all its contents.
- He was arrested multiple times, the first being in 2008, before the outbreak of the Syrian revolution, due to a report issued by the center regarding the riots in Adra Prison. He was released after ten days but was banned from traveling.
- He was arrested for the second time on March 16, 2011, for participating in a protest demanding the release of political detainees in the city of Daraa.
- His longest detention was on February 16, 2012, when Air Force Intelligence raided the center’s headquarters in Damascus, arresting everyone present, including Darwish.
- He remained imprisoned for three and a half years, moving between Adra Prison, Air Force Intelligence, and the Fourth Division. He was convicted by the Counter-Terrorism Court and was released on August 10, 2015.
- Since his release, he has been actively involved in human rights and transitional justice. Since 2017, he has been pursuing criminal cases against Syrian regime figures in Germany.
- He has received several awards in his field, most notably:
- The UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on May 3, 2015.
- The PEN Pinter International Writer of Courage Award in 2014.
- The International Press Institute’s Heroes of Freedom Award in 2015.
At the Syrian Future Movement, in recognition of his legal and ethical efforts, his stand with his people in their revolution against oppression and tyranny, and as an expression of our gratitude to Syria’s esteemed figures and great men, we present the Syrian Future Movement Shield this week to Mazen Darwish—a symbolic Syrian shield that embodies our vision and inclusive national approach.
