Israeli occupation army assaults French journalist in Syria

DAMASCUS, Jan. 09 (YPA) – French journalist Sylvain Mercadier has revealed that Israeli soldiers assaulted and beat him during his arrest in the occupied Syrian territories on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Israeli soldiers arrested Mercadier and the Syrian activist, lawyer Muhammad Fayyad, in the buffer zone surrounding the Golan Heights in southern Syria, where the French journalist spoke about his arrest while working in the village of Al-Hamidiyeh.

Mercadier, who works for “Marianne” magazine, explained that the Israeli army tried to confiscate their devices, and when they refused, they were tied up and brutally silenced, in addition to being subjected to insults and ill-treatment.

He explained that after hours of violent interrogation and physical assault, they were transferred to another village before being released, without returning their equipment such as phones, cameras, and memory cards.

The French journalist concluded by saying that the Israeli army prevented him from using the tools he needed for his work.

YPA