Syria: The Uzbek fighters escalate their actions and threatening to withdraw from the Ministry of Defense

The crisis between the Syrian transitional authorities and groups of Uzbek fighters has taken a new turn following a statement directly criticizing the government and accusing it of increasing pressure on what it termed foreign fighters who participated in the fighting in recent years.

The statement’s authors said that a number of foreign fighters are now facing terrorism or criminal charges, arguing that these accusations are being used to pressure them because of their opposition to certain government policies and procedures.

The statement indicated that migrants feel marginalized after years of involvement in the Syrian conflict, emphasizing that some face threats of deportation or legal prosecution, despite what they consider their past role in supporting armed factions during the years of conflict.

The statement also reviewed cases of foreign fighters who, it said, were subjected to security measures or handed over to their countries of origin, considering these steps a shift in how non-Syrian fighters who settled in the country during the war are treated.

In an attempt to gain the support of the Syrian public, the signatories of the statement stressed that they stand with the Syrian people and reject what they described as unjust practices affecting various parties, affirming their continued commitment to the relationship they have forged with the local population over the past years.

The statement also addressed potential withdrawals from the military establishment, noting that a number of foreign fighters working within the Syrian Ministry of Defense are reconsidering their continued service, citing their refusal to participate in practices they deem contrary to their convictions.

Observers considered these statements to reflect an unprecedented level of tension between the authorities and foreign fighters, and to raise questions about the future integration of these groups into the military and security institutions that were restructured during the transitional phase.

The roots of the crisis trace back to last May, when authorities arrested an Uzbek fighter in Idlib province on criminal charges.

This prompted a number of fighters to gather and demand his release. as the incident quickly escalated into a large-scale security campaign in several areas of rural Idlib, involving raids, arrests, and sporadic clashes, resulting in the detention of several Uzbek fighters.

In the following weeks, several Uzbek groups released video statements accusing the authorities of targeting foreign fighters and carrying out arrest campaigns that included members of their families, including women and children.

With the latest statement, the dispute appears to have moved beyond security and judicial matters, transforming into an open political and media confrontation.

This has brought the issue of foreign fighters back to the forefront of the Syrian debate and raised increasing questions about their future presence and the relationship they will have with the state in the coming phase.