Ali Suleiman Deeb, the father of the Syrian writer and political and civil activist Aktham Deeb “Abu Lamak,” passed away on the evening of Thursday, 2 January 2026, days after his son was arrested by the security services affiliated with the de facto authority on the Syrian coast.
Ali Suleiman Deeb was a Syrian civilian from the Alawite community, and the father of the well-known writer and activist Aktham Deeb. No information has been reported indicating his involvement in any direct political or civil activity; however, his death occurred in a context directly linked to the arrest of his son.
The death of Ali Suleiman Deeb was preceded by the arrest of his son, Aktham Deeb, on the evening of 30 December 2025, from his home in the village of Ba‘bdeh in the countryside of the city of Jableh in Latakia Governorate.
Aktham Deeb is a Syrian writer and political and civil activist from the Alawite community, known for his public activity on social media and for his political and civil positions. His arrest came against the background of his participation in peaceful demonstrations that took place in protest against the policies of the interim authority.
In late December 2025, the Syrian coast witnessed a wide arrest campaign carried out by security services affiliated with the de facto authority, targeting activists and civilians from the Alawite community, due to their participation in peaceful demonstrations known as the “Flood of Dignity.”
These demonstrations began on 28 December 2025 in several cities and areas, including Latakia, Jableh, Qardaha, Baniyas, and Tartus, in protest against the bombing that targeted the Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque in the city of Homs, which resulted in deaths and injuries, all of them from the Alawite community.
According to available information, the arrest campaign was preceded by public incitement via social media, targeting Aktham Deeb and others, through the publication of their photos and linking their peaceful participation to accusations related to “incitement” and “remnants.”
The Ministry of Interior affiliated with the interim authority also published photos of a number of detainees in clothing designated for detainees, and described them in official statements as “war criminals,” without announcing clear judicial procedures or legal guarantees, while information indicates that a large number of them are civilians not involved in any armed activity.
Estimates indicate that the number of detainees in connection with these demonstrations exceeded 100 people, most of them young people and civilians. Deaths and injuries were also recorded among the demonstrators, particularly in the city of Latakia, as a result of gunfire and assaults during attempts to disperse the protests, without any announcement of accountability for those responsible.
The death of Ali Suleiman Deeb comes in an extremely sensitive humanitarian context, reflecting the serious psychological and social effects of arbitrary detention, especially when it targets civil activists for exercising their right to peaceful protest and freedom of opinion and expression.
This context raises serious concerns regarding human rights violations and the repercussions of these policies on civil peace and public freedoms in the coastal regions of Syria.
