End of fear,Syria

I am from a middle-income family living in Damascus. My father worked in the manufacture of bread machines in the industrial zone, and my mother worked as a housewife at the home. I have an older brother and a younger brother and sister

I was at university in 2011 when the revolution started in Syria, I could not ignore it and when I saw the regime beat the demonstrators in the first month, I felt I belonged to the revolution and decided to be with the freedom advocates against this brutal regime.

I can’t forget the first time I went to demonstrations with my friends, it was the hardest moment at my life. You can’t imagine what will happen in Syria. I was very scared when we were shouting against the regime and against the president.

After that I joined a group of peaceful activists. our objectives were to organise demonstrations, sit-ins, road blocks in addition to activities on social networks to incite people to revolt against the regime. The confrontation between demonstrators and the security forces was fierce and many were arrested . Once we were in a demonstration which started from the mosque and security forces followed us and arrested most of us.

In the talked that were taking place between us and security forces, they accused us of wanting the USA or NATO to occupy Syria, but in face We want freedom and the release of detainees.

My first arrest with my friends was only two days we didn’t sleep, and we were insulted and beaten. The guards asked us to move a wall or look for a blue ant wearing sunglasses and whoever didn’t do it was beaten.

The golden Period in the Syrian Revolution was 2012, We were demonstrating in very large numbers inside the capital Damascus and organised small demonstrations near the presidential palace or near the parliament place. The situation was evenly balanced between us and the security forces. Most of the people were supporters of the revolution. We were throwing leaflets against the regime in all the important places in Damascus, and felt we were near to winning.

Until the Iranian intervention and the Iraqi sectarian militias, arrived in Syria and the regime turned the country into a war zone.

 The Free Syrian Army include volunteers and defectors from the regime who had refused to bomb cities or shoot at demonstrators.

 Cities were divided checkpoints, and there was strong surveillance on social networking sites that helped in Organizing protests, Using Iranian techniques, hundreds were arrested.

Assad began to drown Syria in blood, the opposition won in some cities and Syria was divided into two sides: those with the regime and those against.

My Second arrest: I was going home at night through a checkpoint, when they asked for my identity Afterwards, they arrested me because when they checked my name and found I had a “bad” record I was taken away. It was the most difficult day of my life. They forced me to confess to crimes I had never heard of before There was no mercy in Syria. Torture was unbearable. I confessed that I was a criminal to get out of the investigation and after 6 days I was released. Because my father had paid to someone to get me out of jail. I didn’t seem a criminal in people’s eye because in this time anyone who was in jail was Considered a good person.

Then the regime used besiegement and closed all boarders, burned cities, used chemical weapons, Iranian intervention, Lebanese and Iraqi sectarian militias, and the introduction of ISIS to win the battle. Also, the international community failed to support the Syrian people.

However, it was only after the direct Russian military intervention that the regime won over the Syrian people.

All these reasons prompted meant Syrians, especially the young people, to think about seeking asylum.

Because the youth of Syria were under fire from all sides.

Meanwhile, with all this going on, I was studying at university; But I always avoided standing at military checkpoints because of my record! I graduated in 2016 and had no choice but to leave. I only had one month or else I had to do military service. I had to leave my country after submitting my graduation project in just ten days.

I was searching for any country to accept me, let me in or give me a visa to work, but that impossible because I am from Syria. In the end I had to look far round the world -To Europe.

 

Next part how I got myself out of my country-my escape from my homeland……