AhlulBayt News Agency: Armed men affiliated with Syria’s ruling HTS regime have abducted American journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem after he criticized the country’s new rulers amid reports of ongoing executions, arbitrary detentions, and other abuses.
Abdul Kareem was seized earlier this week near al-Fateh Mosque in al-Bab city, located about 40 kilometers northeast of Aleppo.
Local sources reported that two vehicles carrying HTS-linked gunmen surrounded the area before detaining Abdul Kareem and transferring him to an undisclosed location.
A former US stand-up comedian, Abdul Kareem has lived in Syria since 2012 and collaborated with numerous international media outlets.
He has previously produced reports for CNN, Channel 4, BBC, Sky News, and the Dutch program Nieuwsuur.
In 2020, Abdul Kareem was arrested by HTS in northern Idlib province and held for six months on charges of “incitement” against the group.
Following his release, he spoke openly about arbitrary detention, abuse, and the lack of due process in HTS-controlled prisons.
After the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024, Abdul Kareem initially expressed strong support for Syria’s new rulers.
By mid-2025, however, his stance shifted, and he became increasingly critical of the HTS regime led by Mohammad al-Jolani, the former commander of al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria.
The journalist condemned HTS’s alignment with Western interests, warning that without genuine reform, Syria could face a bleak future.
In his latest video, Abdul Kareem criticized HTS for joining the US-led coalition allegedly formed to fight Daesh.
He denounced the presence of foreign military forces in Syria, particularly US troops.
Abdul Kareem also questioned the new rulers’ silence on Israeli aggression and broader policies he described as excessively pragmatic.
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