Syrian authorities have arrested American journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem following his vocal criticism of President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s administration, according to sources speaking with Reuters. The detention occurred Monday in al-Bab, located in northern Aleppo province, though official confirmation from Damascus remains pending.
Abdul Kareem, who previously contributed to Middle East Eye and has resided in Syria since 2012, transitioned from stand-up comedy to become a significant voice within Syrian opposition circles. His recent commentaries have sharply criticized President al-Sharaa, the former rebel leader who overthrew Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. The journalist particularly condemned what he perceived as excessive moderation of Islamic principles to gain international favor and denounced the government’s refusal to grant citizenship to foreign opposition fighters.
In his final social media post before detention, Abdul Kareem explicitly opposed Syria’s participation in the US-led coalition against Islamic State. The video, published shortly after a suspected IS attack killed two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter, contained statements describing the United States as ‘the enemy of the Syrian people’ and questioning the legitimacy of US military presence in the region.
The journalist brings extensive experience working with major international networks including CNN, BBC, Sky News, and Channel 4. This incident marks his second significant detention in recent years, following a six-month imprisonment in 2020 by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) for allegedly inciting against the rebel group. Although previously maintaining positive relations with HTS—the organization instrumental in overthrowing Assad and formerly led by al-Sharaa—tensions escalated following Abdul Kareem’s reports about torture within HTS detention facilities.
Abdul Kareem has additionally claimed being placed on a US ‘kill list’ and surviving five assassination attempts, though legal proceedings have thus far failed to substantiate these allegations.