Syrian security forces arrested American journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem yesterday during dhuhr prayer near Al-Fateh Mosque in Al-Bab, northern Aleppo countryside.
According to local sources, two General Security vehicles, crowded with armed personnel, surrounded the area before detaining Abdul Kareem and taking him to an unknown location.
No official statement has been issued regarding the reasons for his arrest or his current whereabouts.
Abdul Kareem is a major media personality in Syria having lived there since 2012 and having been a vocal supporter of the uprising against Bashar Al Assad.
However, he has also been a cautious critic of the new Syrian authorities under Ahmed Al Sharaa, especially regarding the lack of response to Israeli provocations and cooperation with the West.
Local activists are warning that the incident may indicate the beginning of a broader campaign targeting media figures and critics, amid growing concerns over press freedom and dissent in areas influenced by the Syrian government.
Chronicler of the Syrian war
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Bilal Abdul Kareem is one of the most recognisable journalists to emerge from the Syrian war, known for his on-the-ground reporting from opposition-held areas at a time when few Western reporters were present.
An American convert to Islam, he arrived in Syria in 2012 and spent years documenting the conflict from the perspective of those living under bombardment by the Assad regime. His work, broadcast through major international outlets as well as his own platform, On the Ground News, made him a prominent voice of the Syrian uprising.
From the outset, Abdul Kareem was clearly supportive of the Syrian revolution that opposed Bashar al-Assad’s rule and highlighted the regime’s violence against civilians. His reporting consistently focused on airstrikes, sieges and the humanitarian toll of the war, particularly in places such as Aleppo and Idlib.
This positioning, combined with his long-term presence among opposition factions, led many to associate him closely with the anti-Assad cause.
However, Abdul Kareem’s position has never been one of unconditional loyalty to power, even when that power was part of the revolution. This became unmistakably clear in his relationship with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group that governed much of Idlib and was led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, now Syrian president.
In 2020 he was detained for over six months by the group following reporting and commentary that criticised its governance.
After his release, Abdul Kareem spoke openly about arbitrary detention, abuse and the absence of due process in HTS-run prisons. He questioned whether replacing Assad’s authoritarianism with another unaccountable system could ever fulfil the goals of the Syrian revolution.
Following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, Abdul Kareem expressed strong support for the new Syrian authorities, particularly praising their efforts to hold former regime figures accountable through Shari’ah courts and highlighting the horrors of Assad’s rule.
However, by mid-2025 his attitude shifted to one of growing criticism and scepticism toward the current government under Ahmed al-Sharaa. He has repeatedly accused the authorities of perpetuating injustices similar to those under Assad, such as torture, enforced disappearances, indefinite detentions without trial and extrajudicial executions.
He argues that the revolution was meant to establish Islamic justice, not repeat oppressive practices or align with Western interests, and warns that without true reform, Syria could face a fate worse than under Assad.
He has also questioned the government’s handling of foreign military presence, such as U.S. forces, and a lack of response to Israeli aggression, as well as broader policies that he views as overly pragmatic.
