HTS Supporters Continue Protests in Idleb, Despite Arrests

The arrests were prompted by a statement issued by several figures from Hama, urging HTS to halt the arrest of Hizb ut-Tahrir members, according to Baladi News.

During the past 48 hours, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) conducted a campaign of arrests in Idleb targeting residents originally from Hama. The arrests were prompted by a statement issued by several figures from Hama, urging HTS to halt the arrest of Hizb ut-Tahrir members and to prevent security personnel within HTS from raiding homes. The statement compared HTS’s actions to the regime’s arbitrary arrests of civilians. This statement is circulating widely in communication channels.

Following this, the self-proclaimed “Mujahideen of the city of Hama” within HTS expressed solidarity with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham in their efforts to counter Hizb ut-Tahrir, which they accused of betraying Syrians through their statements and social media publications.

On May 8th, HTS conducted a series of raids and arrests of Hizb ut-Tahrir members in Deir Hassan town after a member of Tahrir al-Sham’s security apparatus was killed by Hizb ut-Tahrir supporters. In recent months, HTS has increased its crackdown on Hizb ut-Tahrir members known for advocating the revival of the Islamic caliphate and promoting hardline views.

According to successive statements by HTS, this party holds no influence in the revolutionary and military scenes in northern Syria. It is worth noting that Hizb ut-Tahrir has a history dating back to the 1950s, originating in Palestine under the leadership of Sheikh Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani. The party has expanded to several countries, including Jordan, where it attempted to overthrow the government, as well as Libya and Iraq, where it is considered an illegal organization. It gained a presence in northwestern Syria during the years of the Syrian revolution, focusing on religious revival and the establishment of an “Islamic Caliphate” under its leadership. Hizb ut-Tahrir’s publications also criticized various entities and targeted Turkish forces in the region, while finding active support in Indonesia and Central Asia.