Reports | 25 05 2020
Mohammed had no alternative but enrollment in the regime's army, after he finished his studies in civil engineering. This native of one Lattakia's villages was unable to escape this fate, as he did not have any other way. He soon was transferred to Aleppo, and was wounded in battle, nearly losing his right leg to amputation.
The twenty-seven year old was discharged from hospital before treatment was completed. Had it not been for some connections, his sick leave would only have been extended once. He tells Rozana: "I had enrolled to defend the nation and the army. I was even ready to die for this cause. Today, I regret all of it, after the ill-treatment I received."
Muhammad was sent to fight again. He was unable to extend his last sick leave, and today is fighting in an area in Daraa which refuses to specify, to preserve his life. He holds on to his rifle, waiting for the war to end.
Do They Have Access to Proper Care?
It seems that the regime's media campaign, cannot hide the truth its soldiers, armed forces, and militias fighting on the ground, are experiencing.
Care provided to injured fighters falls short of the risks they are facing. Most of them are discharged before their treatment is completed, or receive inadequate treatment. Others are forced to enter private hospitals to receive necessary treatment, and pay bribes to be able to do so.
Ayham, a young man from the Lattakia countryside, has exhausted his opportunities to pass his studies in the Faculty of Law of Tishreen University. He had no option but to give in to reality and join the ranks of the regime's army. He was dispatched to Jobar, and as a result of the fighting received hand wounds by shrapnel. He was transferred to one of the Army's hospitals, and received appropriate treatment; but was given a leave of no more than ten days, then was sent back to the battlefield.
Ayham, however, managed to reach an "deal" with his commanding officer. This deal stipulated that the officer receive Ayham's salary for the duration of his stay at home. The young man had to accept in the hope of receiving full treatment; maybe even "winning back his life" as he puts it.
What Country Kills its Sons?!
Ali, his family's first-born, descends from one of the Jableh countryside villages. He received shrapnel to his head during a clash in the Idlib countryside with the armed opposition factions, then was taken to the Intensive Care Unit at the Military Hospital in Lattakia.
As a result of his grave and serious injury, Ali remained unconscious, breathing only with the help of machines. After a long period of convalescence he started to breathe unassisted, but he remains unable to either move or speak.
His parents asked, and received, permission to take him out of the hospital back home where, according to his parents, they can do nothing but "waiting for God's mercy" as his father puts it.
His father confirms to Rozana that they received no support from any part of the regime's officialdom. They haven't even received a penny of his pension. They sometimes wish for their son's death, if only because then his suffering may stop, and they may have access to some financial assistance to help them get through their dire financial situation.
Says Um Ali: "My son went to defend the country. He is now home unconscious. What kind of country kills its sons?!"