Aleppo: Syrian Singer Publicly Humiliated and Assaulted by Militant Group Over Past Support for Assad

Image: Jihad Watch

In a disturbing incident reported from the city of Al-Bab, located in the northern countryside of Aleppo province, a group of armed militants affiliated with the so-called “National Army” carried out a violent and humiliating assault on a local Syrian folk singer. According to sources from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the incident occurred after the gunmen raided a wedding hall in the city, where the singer was performing.

Following the raid, the militants arrested the singer, subjected him to severe physical violence, and humiliated him in public. Reports reveal that the man was beaten, forcibly had his hair shaved off, and had his face painted in a degrading manner, all while being surrounded by members of the armed group. The attack appears to be politically and ideologically motivated.

SOHR sources indicate that the main justification for the singer's arrest was his prior association with the Syrian army under the rule of President Bashar Al-Assad. The militants accused the artist of previously performing songs that praised the Syrian military, which they interpreted as a form of loyalty to the Assad regime. He was also accused of "practicing Tashbih," a derogatory term derived from “Shabiha,” referring to loyalist paramilitaries notorious for abusing their power and using violence to suppress dissent during the Syrian conflict.

Adding to the outrage, SOHR has obtained video footage capturing the assault and humiliation. In the video, the singer can be seen being coerced into singing songs glorifying the current Syrian president, a move intended to further disgrace and psychologically torment him in front of the public and onlookers. The footage documents the extent of his suffering — not only physical abuse but also mental degradation carried out in a deeply symbolic and dehumanizing fashion.

The incident highlights the persistent climate of fear, retaliation, and political vengeance in parts of northern Syria controlled by opposition factions. Acts of intimidation such as these serve as a grim reminder of the lawlessness and abuse of power that continue to plague the region amid the ongoing conflict.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)