BEIRUT: A press freedom NGO expressed concern on Monday over the detention of a Syrian Kurdish journalist who was arrested days earlier in Damascus by the new government’s security forces.
“The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Syrian authorities to disclose the reason for the detention of Kurdish journalist Hassan Zaza, who was taken from his home by security forces to an unknown location early on Friday,” the CPJ said in a statement.
“Syrian authorities must immediately disclose Zaza’s whereabouts, ensure his safety, and drop any charges related to his journalistic activities,” the NGO’s regional director Sara Qudah said in the statement.
Syria’s new Islamist authorities took power after ousting longtime ruler Bashar Assad in December after nearly 14 years of civil war.
The CPJ said that after Assad’s overthrow, Zaza had returned to Damascus from northeast Syria, which is controlled by a semi-autonomous Kurdish administration.
According to the group, Zaza runs a news website and had also worked with a television channel that supports the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is banned in neighboring Turkiye — a key ally of the new authorities.
The statement said Syrian information ministry official Mohammad Al-Saleh confirmed Zaza’s arrest and told the group that the move was “related to security concerns and not connected to his journalistic work.”
Saleh was not authorized to share further details because the matter was being investigated, the CPJ statement said.
“If nothing is found, he will likely be released this week,” Saleh said, according to the statement.
Qudah said that Zaza’s “secret detention... reflects a nationwide pattern of press intimidation.”
Assad’s December ouster ended decades of his family’s rule in Syria, during which press freedom was heavily curtailed and the media became a tool of those in power.
According to the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, since Assad’s toppling, journalists’ “newfound freedom remains fragile due to ongoing political instability and mounting economic pressures.”
Media watchdog CPJ demands answers over Syria journalist’s arrest
https://arab.news/reetn
Media watchdog CPJ demands answers over Syria journalist’s arrest
- Kurdish journalist Hassan Zaza was taken from his home by security forces to an unknown location on Friday
- Zaza was detained on security concerns, not connected to his journalistic work, officials says
TikTok names 2025 MENA Awards nominees ahead of Dubai ceremony
- Awards celebrate 66 creators across 11 categories, spanning food, sport, education, entertainment, fashion, and beauty
- Ceremony will take place during the 1 Billion Followers Summit on Jan. 8
LONDON: TikTok has announced the nominees for its 2025 MENA Awards, an annual showcase of the creators, trends and cultural moments that shaped the region’s online conversation over the past year.
For the first time, the awards will be held in Dubai during the 1 Billion Followers Summit in January, which is one of the world’s largest gatherings of digital creators.
“We’re proud to celebrate the return of the TikTok Awards in MENA, a moment dedicated to spotlighting the remarkable creativity emerging from our region and the creators who continue to inspire creativity and bring joy to millions every day,” Kinda Ibrahim, regional general manager of operations, TikTok Middle East, Africa, South and Central Asia, said.
This year’s TikTok Awards MENA will highlight 66 creators across 11 categories, spanning food, sport, education, entertainment, fashion, and beauty, alongside four cross-cutting prizes: Creator of the Year, Visionary Content Award, Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Changemaker of the Year.
TikTok said the shortlisted accounts reflect how MENA creators drove global conversations in 2025, from viral sounds and challenges to issue-based campaigns and long-form storytelling that traveled beyond the region’s borders.
The platform said the awards are an opportunity to recognize creators whose work has helped define the platform’s mix of humor, lifestyle, music, and social commentary in Arabic and other languages.
The ceremony will also include performances by regional artists whose tracks have underpinned major TikTok trends this year, with the full lineup due to be confirmed later in December.
A full list of nominees is available on TikTok MENA channel. Public voting for the awards is now open and runs until Dec. 23, with winners set to be announced at the summit on Jan. 8.
