Politics

Kidnappings

Why women in Syria are disappearing

Blackmail, forced marriages and revenge: abductions of women and girls have become more frequent since the collapse of the Assad regime. Many women vanish without a trace, while others have returned with surprising testimonies.
By Lamis Abdullah
Iraq and post-Assad Syria

An uneasy alliance

Iraq has kept its distance from Syria's new regime due to President al-Sharaa's al-Qaeda past. But one key issue has the potential to bring the two countries closer together: the threat of a resurgent ISIS.
By Hossam Sadek
Leftist politics in Syria

"I don't care whether Marx or Muhammad takes the credit"

Since Assad's fall in December 2024, Syrians have witnessed both displays of unity and renewed sectarian violence. A national identity that transcends sect and ideology is the key to a stable future, says Syrian leftist Sami Hadaya.
By Hannah El-Hitami
Filmmaker Monika Borgmann

"Syria needs a culture of justice"

Monika Borgmann has spent decades documenting Lebanese and Syrian prison systems. Her 2016 film "Tadmor" found new resonance after Assad's fall. She discusses Syria's future and her fight for justice after the murder of her husband, activist Lokman Slim.
By Mohammed Magdy
Weapons exports to Israel

"Unlawful arms export licences have likely been issued"

Germany remains one of Israel's top arms suppliers, a situation likely to persist under Friedrich Merz. According to Lilian Löwenbrück from the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, politicians and manufacturers could face charges for complicity in crimes against international law.
By Hannah El-Hitami
Germany's new government

Merz, Netanyahu and the reason of state

Under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Germany is expected to double down on its support for Israel, even if it means sidelining international law. Domestically, repression of Israel's critics is set to intensify.
By Daniel Bax
Pankaj Mishra on Germany, Israel and Palestine

"An anarchic, nihilistic world"

The West, particularly Germany, has instrumentalised Holocaust remembrance to justify state violence, argues Pankaj Mishra. A conversation on suppressed colonial histories, Western complicity in Gaza and Germany's role in the erosion of international law.
By Elias Feroz
Anti-Erdoğan protests

Turkey at the crossroads

The March arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has sparked widespread protests demanding his release and fresh presidential elections. Successful or not, the protests point to a changing face of Turkish society.
By Ceyda Nurtsch
Two years of war in Sudan

A fractured nation on the brink of partition

Two years in, Sudan's war shows no signs of resolution. As both sides push to establish rival governments, civilians bear the brunt of the violence, and national divisions threaten to become permanent.
By Hamid Khalafallah
UGTT in crisis

The decline of Tunisia's most powerful trade union

Plagued by internal divisions, Tunisia's UGTT union is losing the political influence it gained after the 2011 revolution. What is behind the crisis—and how has President Kais Saied capitalised?
By Mohamed Ben Rajeb
Civil society since the Arab Spring

Europe must support the agents of change

Civil society organisations in West Asia and North Africa face widespread repression. But instead of supporting activists on the ground, European policymakers continue to prop up autocratic regimes.
By Ilyas Saliba
Erdoğan rival Ekrem İmamoğlu

Detained but defiant

Days before he was set to secure his official presidential candidacy, Ekrem İmamoğlu was arrested on corruption and terrorism charges. A relative unknown until he won Istanbul's mayoralty in 2019, how did he become Erdoğan's greatest rival?
By Ayşe Karabat