The wait for the family of Syrian journalist Nabil Al-Sharbagi to receive news of his death in custody has not ended, as that news raised many questions about the circumstances of his arrest and what he endured, in addition to the memory of a father who retained details of his last visit to his son and a will that did not leave his comrades: do not forget the detainees and their cause.
The story of Al-Sharbagi, one of the founders of "Awan Baladi" newspaper in the city of Daraya in the suburbs of Damascus, summarizes a part of the suffering of journalists who were arrested and killed during the years of the Syrian revolution, while revealing the human face of violations whose effects do not stop at the victims but extend to their families, who live between loss and waiting for truth and accountability.
An arrest that changed the course of the story
Nabil Al-Sharbagi's (1984-2015) relationship with journalism began with the launch of the popular movement, as he chose to work in media despite obtaining a degree in the agricultural field, preferring the profession he loved over the path suggested by his family. His father, Waleed Al-Sharbagi, recalls that beginning, explaining that he asked his son to work in agriculture after graduation, but he insisted on continuing journalism due to his passion for it and his desire to practice it.
Waleed Al-Sharbagi says that Nabil did not leave a protest in Daraya and Damascus without covering it, and was present around mosques, markets, and public squares, moving between protest sites to document what was happening and convey its events. With the escalation of security crackdowns, the son Al-Sharbagi was forced to move between the homes of his friends and acquaintances to avoid arrest, and sometimes reassured his father that he was abroad, while he was still inside Syria and avoiding appearing in public places.
But attempts to hide did not prevent his arrest near the Bread Ovens in Daraya, at a checkpoint for the Air Force Intelligence of the former regime during his trip to bid farewell to one of his friends, according to his father's account, who adds that news of his arrest spread later via the internet.
A last visit and a father's unforgettable memory
After Al-Sharbagi was transferred to Sednaya prison, his father managed to visit him once, a visit whose details remained etched in his memory, reflecting the deterioration of his son's health condition, as he described him as "skin and bones." The father recalls the moment of their meeting, when Nabil asked him about his grandmother, his brother, and the rest of the family members, and he answered that everyone was fine, despite the death of some of them, out of fear that informing him would increase his suffering inside the prison.
Not even ten to fifteen days had passed since that visit until his father received news of his son's death, thus ending the journey of waiting with the news of loss, while the details of what he endured inside the detention center and questions of responsibility and accountability remained part of the case that did not leave his family's memory.
"Do not forget us" a will from behind bars
Al-Sharbagi's story was not limited to his family's testimony, as the politician and human rights activist Marwan Al-Ash, who met him during the early stages of the popular movement, recalls his meetings with Daraya activists, including Nabil, Osama Nasser, and Yahya Al-Sharbagi. Al-Ash points out Nabil's presence at protests carrying his camera, moving among participants to document events and convey peaceful slogans, noting his insistence on staying in the field and covering what was happening despite the security risks surrounding journalists and activists at that time.
Among the memories still present with him is a meeting he had with Al-Sharbagi in Adra prison, before his transfer to Sednaya, when he asked him not to forget the detainees and their cause, saying: "Professor Marwan, you are a politician and you know us, do not forget us, we are now in a difficult situation." Al-Ash says that these words remained present in his memory, and that he continued to follow up on detainees' cases and document the violations they were subjected to in prisons and detention centers.
He also provided testimony about Al-Sharbagi during an intervention in a hearing session held by the People's Court in The Hague in 2022, which covered three cases of assassinating journalists: the case of Nabil Al-Sharbagi in 2015, the journalists Lasantha and Wickrematunge in Sri Lanka in 2009, and the journalist Miguel Ángel López Velasco in Mexico in 2011.
The truth is a right that does not expire with time
Years after his death, Al-Sharbagi's story does not merely recall the biography of a journalist from Daraya, but raises a question that goes beyond his individual case to the fate of journalists who were killed, arrested, or disappeared, and the right of their families to uncover the truth and achieve justice. Ending impunity is not achieved merely by commemorating the victims, but begins with investigating crimes, determining responsibilities, holding perpetrators accountable, and ensuring that targeting journalists is not left without accountability, and that the suffering of their families does not turn into an open wait without answers.
Al-Sharbagi's case transcends the boundaries of the Syrian experience, falling within an international reality that still witnesses an increase in impunity rates for crimes committed against journalists, threatening their safety, freedom of media work, and the right of societies to access information. According to data from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for 2026, more than 1,700 journalists have been killed since 1993 due to reporting news and conveying information to the public, while those responsible for their killings escape punishment in nine out of every ten cases, according to the organization's Observatory on Killed Journalists.
The UN General Assembly adopted the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Committed against Journalists under Resolution 68/163 issued in 2013, setting November 2 as the date for its observance, with the aim of urging states to investigate crimes committed against journalists and hold those responsible accountable.
The importance of this day is not limited to remembering journalists who lost their lives while performing their work, but extends to emphasizing the protection of journalists and ensuring the right of victims' families to know the fate of their children, and pursuing those responsible for the crimes that affected them.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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