Only four words, written by children on a school wall in the city of Daraa, were enough to change the course of all of Syria. The phrase “Your turn has come, doctor” was not just passing words, but turned into the spark that ignited the first protests in 2011, after it led to the arrest of a group of children and their torture for weeks using shocking methods, in an incident that unleashed public anger. 

Today, the name of Mouawiya Syasneh returns to the spotlight, but not as a child who wrote a phrase on a wall, rather as a young man revisiting a delayed confrontation with the man associated with the torture of Daraa’s children, Atef Najib, the cousin of Bashar Al-Assad and one of the most prominent security figures of that stage.

From the school wall to torture rooms

Syasneh recounts details of his arrest along with a number of children, noting that they were subjected to torture methods including electric shocks, suspension in painful positions known as “the ghost,” and continuous insults. He confirms that what they endured “exceeded the ability of children to bear.”

The parents who tried at the time to learn the fate of their children were met with insults and shocking remarks, including: “Forget the children, and if you don’t forget them send your women… we will make them bear new children.”

This statement, described as having crossed all red lines after it touched on dignity and honor, became one of the most inflammatory phrases that fueled public anger in Daraa and helped ignite the protests that quickly spread to the rest of the Syrian provinces.

Muawiya Syasneh during the trial session of Atef Najib in Damascus. (Annahar)

“Mountains do not meet”… but people do meet.

Syasneh describes his feelings today after the arrest of Atef Najib as “beyond description,” considering that his trial, which he attended, carries great symbolism for the people of Daraa, especially since he was once seen as one of the most influential and feared security figures in the region.

Syasneh delivers a direct message saying: “Mountains do not meet, but people do meet… after 15 years, those who lived in luxury at the expense of the Syrian people are now in the dock, humiliated.”

He stresses that his demand is not limited to holding Atef Najib accountable alone but also includes everyone who was involved in violations and the shedding of Syrian blood over the past years, calling for justice and accountability for those responsible for crimes committed against Syrians.

We will live with dignity

Today, Syasneh emphasizes that the main demand of Syrians remains security, safety, and living with dignity, adding: “It is enough that we demanded our dignity, and we will live with dignity, because dignity is above everything for us.”