Syria’s new justice minister is allegedly seen overseeing the execution of two women in shocking video filmed in an Islamist-held region nearly ten years ago.
Syrian fact-checker Verify-Sy claims to have identified the man overseeing the executions as Shadi Muhammad al-Waisi, the Minister of Justice in Syria’s new government, ‘using voice and facial matching’ despite the poor quality of the videos.
The footage was reportedly taken in 2015, in two cities in Idlib, northwestern Syria, where the Jabhat al-Nusra front – al-Qaida’s Syrian branch – was in power at the time. The Islamic group executed the women under its application of Sharia law.
One clip shows a man, allegedly al-Waisi, 40, standing over a kneeling woman in Hafsarja, Idlib. The man said that the woman was sentenced to death for ‘infidelity and prostitution’.
In a second clip, a woman is begging the man identified by Verify-sy as al-Waisi to allow her to ‘see my children’. The footage was reportedly filmed in Ma’arit Misrin, also in Idlib, a week prior to the other video.
Both women appeared to have been killed by gunshots to the head shortly after. Men standing around shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’, seemingly celebrating their deaths.
A senior official in Syria’s new government confirmed to Verify-Sy that the man in the video is al-Waisi, who was reportedly a judge in 2015, when the video was supposedly taken.
The source said the video represented the enforcement of the law ‘at a specific time and place’ and that the ‘procedures were carried out in accordance with the laws in effect at that time’.
Although the quality of the footage is poor, Syrian fact-checker Verify-Sy claims to have identified the man overseeing the executions as Shadi Muhammad al-Waisi, the Minister of Justice in Syria’s new government
Pictured above is Shadi Mohammad al-Waisi, the justice minister in Syria’s new government
In a second clip, a woman is begging the man identified by Verify-sy as al-Waisi to allow her to ‘see my children’. The footage was reportedly filmed in Ma’arit Misrin, also in Idlib, a week prior to the other video
But the government source added that the footage also reflected ‘a stage that we have passed’, adding that there would be a ‘thorough review’ of ‘all legal actions taken during that period […] … to ensure the validity of the sentences and their alignment with standards of justice and fairness’.
In 2015, the area around Idlib was controlled by Jabhat al-Nusra, many members of which are now part of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group that led the rebel offensive in Syria which toppled Bashar al-Assad’s government.
HTS, led by former al-Qaeda and ISIS jihadist Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, is a powerful Islamist organisation that has maintained de facto control of Idlib for several years.
The group solidified in 2017 as a conglomeration of various Islamist factions but traces its roots to al-Qaeda, even though HTS later sought to reposition itself as a legitimate Syrian nationalist organisation.
It officially severed ties with al-Qaeda and created a civilian arm known as the ‘Salvation Government’ through which it seeks to govern in Syria, insisting it has no ambition to expand beyond the nation’s borders.
Initial reports from civilians in Aleppo following the demise of Assad appeared to suggest that HTS militants have treated inhabitants well after ousting Syrian government forces.
But there are suspicions that HTS’ jihadist origins remain and it is still designated a terrorist organisation by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), US, UK and the EU, among others.
The videos of al-Waisi resurfaced a year after he said that Islamic Sharia was the reference for the judicial system as then justice minister in Idlib’s Salvation Government.
Both women appeared to have been killed by gunshots to the head shortly after. Men standing around shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’, seemingly celebrating their deaths
The footage was reportedly taken in 2015, in two cities in Idlib, northwestern Syria, where the Jabhat al-Nusra front – al-Qaida’s Syrian branch – was in power at the time. The Islamic group executed the women under its application of Sharia law
The video clips included the moment the woman was shot in the head and fell to the ground
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, a former jihadist, chose not to shake hands with Annalena Baerbock at a meeting in Damascus
Just a few days ago, al-Waisi reportedly said that as most Syrians were Muslims, Sharia law would align with their faith and its application would therefore be supported by the majority.
When al-Waisi was appointed justice minister by Syrian interim Prime Minister Mohammad al-Bashir, he allegedly announced the removal of all female judges from the judiciary.
This comes as Germany’s foreign minister Annalena Baerbock pushed back against claims of a ‘handshake scandal’ after Syria’s de facto leader al-Jolani refused to shake her hand because she is a woman.
Al-Jolani chose not to shake hands with Baerbock at a meeting in Damascus, but gestured towards Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s male foreign minister.
German newspaper Bild branded the event a ‘handshake scandal’ after video footage emerged of the apparent snub.
In the Muslim world, conservative men and women are not allowed to touch each other unless they are either family or husband and wife.
The incident came amid calls for Syria to be transformed into a freer, more tolerant society.
Despite his militant past, al-Jolani, 42, has claimed to be a moderate force seeking power for the good of all Syrians, not just its radical Islamists.
Ms Baerbock, nevertheless, dismissed criticism of al-Jolani, saying she did not expect an ‘ordinary handshake’ from the rebel leader who toppled former president al-Assad.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
