AFP/GETTY IMAGES - Syrian women call for the release of all political prisoners in Syria during a demonstration against President Bashar al-Assad's regime in the Damascus suburb of Daraya.
BEIRUT — To the extent that the still-leaderless Syrian uprising can be said to have any leaders at all, Ghiyath Matar, a tailor with a fondness for flowers, was one of them.
His name was little known outside the Damascus suburb of Darayya, where he lived and worked and soon was to become a father. But there he was regarded as a hero, an inspirational organizer of anti-government rallies whose passionate commitment to nonviolence earned him the nickname “Little Gandhi.”
(Human Rights Watch/AFP/Getty Images) - Ghiyath Matar, a 26-year-old activist, was arrested in Syria on Sept. 6 and then died in detention after being tortured, according to Human Rights Watch, citing activists who said he had bruises on his chest and signs of facial injuries.
When his brutalized body was delivered to his parents’ home Saturday, four days after Syrian authorities detained him and a month shy of his 25th birthday, the shock waves rippled far beyond.
A man who had encapsulated the youthful idealism of Syria’s grass-roots protest movement, pioneering the tactic of handing out roses and water to the troops sent to shoot demonstrators, had died in custody.
And with him, a little piece of the Syrian revolution also seemed to die.
Activists across the country shuddered with outrage — and with fear. U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford showed up at Matar’s wake, as did other Western envoys, to express support for his pacifism at a time when many frustrated protesters are clamoring for arms. Twitter exploded with tributes, many of them quoting the testimony he delivered to his activist friends in anticipation of his death.
“Remember me when you celebrate the fall of the regime and . . . remember that I gave my soul and my blood for that moment,” he wrote. “May God guide you on the road of peaceful struggle and grant you victory.”
Whether his wish will be heeded seems in grave doubt, however. Matar is by no means the first protest organizer to die in detention since the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad’s rule began in March. But his death comes at a critical moment for the uprising, which is entering its seventh month amid few signs that Assad’s government is in danger of falling.
The mass protests that drew hundreds of thousands of people in cities such as Hama and Deir al-Zour earlier in the year have been crushed by highly publicized tank assaults, in which hundreds died. Demonstrations continue on a daily basis nationwide, but so do the killings — 54 have died since Matar was buried Saturday, human rights groups report.
And out of the spotlight, a systematic sweep of activists in the Damascus area has netted dozens of key players in recent weeks, including Matar, chilling the protest movement there and casting into doubt prospects that the capital will one day be able to muster the momentum needed to seriously challenge the Assad regime in the one place where it really matters.
The momentum is “dying” in Damascus, said Alexander Page, an activist based in the capital who uses a pseudonym to protect his identity. He said he knew Matar and has seen nearly 20 other colleagues disappear into detention. “A lot of people have gone into hiding, and a lot of people are not taking part in protests,” he said.
Many activists suspect that informants have penetrated their ranks. Some believe captured protesters have divulged names under torture. Increasingly, the security forces seem to know in advance when a protest is planned and are on hand to round up the participants. Other activists have been caught in sting operations similar to the one that snared Matar, who had been in hiding for months after his prominent role leading demonstrators in chants of “peaceful, peaceful” drew the attention of authorities.
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