Three things keep someone in Hassan's position safe: names on the record, pressure on decision-makers, and journalists paying attention. You can help with all three.
Hassan was released on 21 June 2026 — but with other cases still pending and the Assad-era cyber-crime law unchanged, this isn't over. It's larger than one person: it concerns the ability of every Syrian to speak without fear. We call on the Syrian authorities to:
Full transparency about the legal basis for Hassan Akkad's detention and any charges brought against him.
Immediate access to legal counsel and all due-process protections guaranteed under law.
Independent monitoring of the case by human rights organizations and relevant international bodies.
Protection of free expression — the right of all Syrians to peaceful expression, criticism, journalism, and public debate.
An end to detention for speech — no one jailed over a post or peaceful criticism without credible evidence of a real crime, tested through a fair, transparent process.
The future of Syria should be built on dignity, accountability, and freedom — not fear.
You don't need to be in Syria to make a difference. Public attention from anywhere makes a case like this harder to ignore.
Put your name and country on the public record in support of free expression and due process.
Use the template below to contact the Syrian Ministry of Information, your own representatives, or organisations like CPJ and RSF.
Send the media kit to anyone covering Syria, corruption, or press freedom.
To whom it may concern,
I am writing about Hassan Akkad, the Syrian-British filmmaker, who has been summoned under a cyber-crime law over the “Give us the money you owe” campaign — a peaceful effort pressing powerful figures to pay the reconstruction donations they publicly pledged but never delivered.
Asking such questions is a basic exercise of free expression. I respectfully urge that the case against him be dropped, that his safety be guaranteed, and that the public pledges he asked about be honoured and accounted for transparently.
I will be following this case and hope to see it resolved in a way that honours the rights Syrians struggled for.
Sincerely,
[Your name, city/country]
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Honest answers to what people ask most. If your question isn't here, email freehassanakkad@gmail.com.
A journalist. A policymaker. A human-rights contact. One informed person in the right place can change how a case like this ends.