IDF detains and later releases French journalist in southern Syria

The IDF detained a French freelance journalist and his fixer in southern Syria earlier today, inside a buffer zone now controlled by the Israeli military.

The military says the pair were identified close to troops in the buffer zone between Israel and Syria, where the IDF deployed troops following the fall of the Assad regime a month ago.

“IDF troops interrogated the suspects and released them with their equipment and personal belongings,” the military says in response to a query.

The journalist, Sylvain Mercadier, says he and his fixer Mohammed al Fayyad were detained in the village of Hamidiyah near Quneitra.

“We were handcuffed and blindfolded, brought to the governorate’s house and mistreated for more than 4 hours. We were threatened and humiliated,” Mercadier says on X.

“After all of this, we were dropped in a field where our restraints were removed. The Israeli [sic] stole my sim card, my camera memory cards as well as 200 USD from Mohammed. We walked for 30 min before reaching a house,” he adds.

Hi Everyone,
Today, alongside my fixer Mohammed al Fayyad, I was arrested by the Israeli army in the village of Hamidiye . We were handcuffed and blindfolded, brought to the governorate's house (muhafaza) and misstreated for more than 4 hours.
We were threatened and humiliated

— Sylvain Mercadier (@Sylv_Mercadier) January 8, 2025