Imprisoned and Released by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham: Interview with Shaykh Abu Shu'ayb al-Masri

The protest movement in Idlib and its environs against the policies of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is still ongoing, focused on grievances such as arrest and detention of critics and opponents of HTS by its ‘public security apparatus,’ which is only nominally independent. Any gestures by HTS to conciliate protestors, such as release of some detainees, have seemingly proven ineffective in significantly reducing the scope and scale of protests. One person released recently by HTS is the Egyptian cleric Abu Shu‘ayb al-Masri, who was previously affiliated with HTS and then became a strong critic of the organisation as he saw the group as deviating from Islamic principles. Abu Shu‘ayb ended up being abducted by HTS in July 2023 in the north Aleppo countryside, in an area officially outside the control of HTS. Abu Shu‘ayb’s release appears to have come only as a result of popular pressure on the organisation.

Abu Shu‘ayb, whom I have interviewed before, speaks to me exclusively for the first time regarding his detention and release. Owing to the current situation, it is not possible for me to put to Abu Shu‘ayb all the questions I would like to ask him about his experience.

[Update: 23 June 2024: Abu Shu ‘ayb has reportedly been rearrested by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham. Other figures have also been arrested, such as al-Zubayr al-Ghazi who was involved in the ‘Wage Jihad With Your Wealth’ campaign].