Repression of dissent | Regime security services continue to seize displaced people’s properties in areas in the south of Damascus and eastern Ghouta

SOHR sources have reported that since early 2022, regime military security branch “277” has carried out wide-scale security campaigns in different areas, south Damascus, and Eastern Ghouta, seizing more than 120 properties of oppositionists or others who have been handed down the decision of “provisional seizure of property” for their political opinions and who are still in areas controlled by the regime.

According to SOHR sources, the patrols of branch 277 have taken over nearly 50 houses and shops in “Al-Sabinah, Babilah, Al-Sayidaa Zainab and Al-Hajar Al-Aswad” areas, south Damascus, after they closed and wrote on houses and shops “Seized by branch 277.”

Moreover, in areas south of the capital Damascus, branch 277 patrols have seized more than 70 houses, shops andand agricultural land since the beginning of 2022 in Hazzah, Ain Tarma, Zamalka, Al-Nashabiyah, and Beit Sawa in Eastern Ghouta.

Local sources in Eastern Ghouta have informed SOHR that the security forces have turned some seized properties into military headquarters and others have been closed and written on “Seized by branch 277.” These properties are owned by people, the majority of whom are living aboard, who participated in peaceful protests against the regime at the beginning of the Syrian revolution.

Reliable sources have told SOHR that security personnel of military security branch 277, collaborators, and members of Al-Ba’ath party from Eastern Ghouta and the south of the capital, Damascus have written almost daily reports on opposition persons, civilians, or fighters, who have participated in protests against the regime to seize their properties under “provisional seizure” law. The security services in some areas extort the opposition people, for whom security reports were filed in order to seize their properties, to pay money for not submitting and filing these reports to the commanders of brunch 277.

It is worth noting that regime security services have already confiscated thousands of properties in different areas controlled by regime forces, in particular properties in those areas that have witnessed protests and properties owned by oppositionists or that of those who are arbitrarily arrested in prisons or are now out of the country to escape regime brutality and suppression, in light of policy adopted by regime of “punishing opponents by seizing their properties via the Law of “provisional seizure.”