It’s 2011 and a spark has been lit: the Arab Spring is sweeping across the Middle East and North Africa, toppling despotic regimes one by one. In the Syrian capital Damascus, journalist Ali Al-Ibrahim is studying for a master’s degree at university when the protests reach the surrounding streets.
It was a hopeful moment, that something might be about to change. Then the government of President Bashar al-Assad responded. The crackdowns against peaceful protesters were swift and harsh, and reports of torture, disappearances and killings followed soon after.
In this episode of ‘Silenced’, Nicola Kelly speaks to Ali about his work investigating human rights abuses inside his country, the challenges of gathering evidence from exile, and the importance of cross-border work to hold the regime and ISIS militants to account for the atrocities they have committed.
Presented by Nicola Kelly
Producer: Kevin Caners
Listen to the other episodes in the series:
Nigerian journalist Philip Obaji Jr
Afghan journalist Sanjar Sohail
Vietnamese editor and journalist Quỳnh-Vi Trần
Brazilian investigative journalist Juliana Dal Piva
Iranian photojournalist Yalda Moaiery
Georgia’s protests and the battle for democracy
Hiba Morgan, the last international correspondent in Khartoum