Syria’s Minister of Finance issued on May 23 Decision No. 1229/Q, ordering the precautionary seizure of assets belonging to 15 peaceful activists in the town of Al-Quraya, south of Suweida. This marks the first time peaceful activists in Suweida have been targeted by a precautionary property seizure order, citing their alleged involvement in what the decision referred to as “the ongoing events in the country.” This vague phrase highlights the extent to which the Syrian regime can violate housing, land, and property rights by using exceptional punitive measures against its peaceful political opponents.

None of the activists had been officially informed of the decision, a correspondent for The Syria Report explained. They only became aware of it when one of them attempted to open a bank account a few weeks ago and found a precautionary seizure order on both their movable and immovable assets, preventing them from opening a bank account. The decision was not published in the Official Gazette, which instead included in its second part of Issue No. 26 of 2024, a different decision with the same number, 1229, but without the suffix /Q. This decision, issued by the Customs Directorate of the Ministry of Finance, lifted a precautionary seizure order on certain individuals involved in a smuggling case.

The Ministry of Finance was granted the authority to impose “administrative” precautionary seizures, distinct from court-ordered seizures, under Legislative Decree No. 12 of 1953. This decree applied to the assets of employees and accountants of all state administrations and institutions to enable the state to secure compensation for losses or damages caused through the mistakes or negligence of these employees. Later, this authority was expanded to include the movable and immovable assets of non-employees and their spouses under Legislative Decree No. 177 of 1969.

The Minister of Finance’s decision on May 23 was based on letter No. 7777, issued the day before by Branch 285 of the General Intelligence Directorate (State Security), which requested the seizure of these activists’ property. The Suweida Financial Directorate received the Minister’s decision on May 27, 2024, just days after the Intelligence Directorate’s letter was sent to the Ministry of Finance. This unprecedented haste in issuing the provisional seizure order underscores the significance of the matter for Syrian security authorities.

The Minister of Finance’s decision also relied on the provisions of the Judicial Police Authority Law No. 63 of 2012. Under Law No. 63 of 2012, the judicial police authorities can request in writing that the Minister of Finance take precautionary measures against the property of those accused of terrorism, as part of investigations related to crimes against the internal or external security of the state, and crimes listed in the Counter-Terrorism Law No. 19 of 2012. Law No. 63 also grants the Public Prosecutor and the investigating judge, while handling a case, the right to take these precautionary measures against the accused, or the defendant, including travel bans, until a final judicial ruling is issued.

The Syria Report’s correspondent confirmed that all those affected by the decision are regular participants in the peaceful opposition movement in Suweida, which has been ongoing since August 2023. This is the first time a collective precautionary seizure order of this type has been issued against activists because of their involvement in the peaceful movement in Suweida. The activists are consulting with lawyers to explore how to challenge the decision. Those affected by the decision have the right to appeal it and take legal action against the Minister of Finance within eight days of being notified. However, to date, they have not been officially notified.

The correspondent explained that most of the activists included in the decision had “security investigation notices” issued against them by the General Intelligence Directorate over the past year. A security investigation notice is a formal communication sent to police units and security agencies with the names of individuals wanted for questioning, detention, or arrest. These notices were issued based on security reports filed by informants from the town, accusing the activists of participating in converting the local branch of the Arab Socialist Baath Party in Al-Quraya into a community centre, as well as participating in the general strike, road blockades, protests, and other forms of peaceful opposition in the town.

In the 1980s, Abu Ghaleb Zeid Al-Atrash, one of the leaders of the Great Syrian Revolt of 1923–1925, donated a plot of private land he owned to be transformed into a community centre that would house the town’s consumer and agricultural cooperatives. The townspeople raised donations to build a two-storey building, but the Baath Party took over the building immediately after its completion, seizing it by force and turning it into an office. On September 3, 2023, the townspeople, including some of the activists affected by the seizure order, reclaimed the building and announced its conversion into the Sultan Pasha Al-Atrash Community Centre. Since then, it has hosted various social activities, including educational courses for secondary and middle school students.

Those subject to the precautionary seizure are unable to dispose of their property, such as selling or passing it on through inheritance, and most of their dealings with state institutions are disrupted, including being denied access to the government support system. The Public Prosecutor and the investigating judge, while handling the case, also have the right to take these measures against the accused or defendant, including imposing a travel ban, until the charges are proven by a final judicial ruling. A precautionary seizure decision can only be cancelled by a “lifting of the precautionary seizure” order issued by the Minister of Finance, after the reason for the seizure is revoked. In this case, the reason is the letter from the General Intelligence Directorate, an entity that the judiciary has no authority over.

Since August 2023, Al-Quraya has seen notable peaceful opposition activity against the regime, where activists organised protests and evening gatherings, singing songs and raising banners. In August 2023, Al-Quraya activists blocked the road to prevent Fawzat Shaqir, the retired Major General and Baath Party branch secretary in Suweida, who is also from Al-Quraya, from reaching his workplace at the party’s branch office in Suweida city.

Like the rest of the Suweida governorate, Al-Quraya suffers from a severe water shortage due to the frequent breakdowns of water pumps installed on wells, caused by power cuts, lack of maintenance, and corruption within the municipal council. In the summer of 2024, activists exposed several cases of corruption within Al-Quraya’s town council, some of which were related to the water issue. They led a local campaign calling for the dismissal of the town’s mayor and council members, and they signed a joint statement with these demands, sending it to the governor of Suweida. This was followed by a meeting with the mayor and his deputy, where activists confronted them with the corruption files. The activists also temporarily closed the municipal council’s office for a few days, demanding new council elections.