“We were mistreated, insulted, and humiliated by the soldiers,” French journalist opens up during Israeli detention in Syria

Sylvain Mercadier, a French journalist detained by the Israeli army in Syrian territory, has accused Israeli soldiers of beating and “brutally interrogating” him during his detention.

Mercadier and Syrian activist-lawyer Muhammed Fayyad were apprehended on December 8, 2024, while working in the village of Hamidiye, located in the Quneitra region of Syria.

Mercadier recounted to Anadolu Agency that Israeli soldiers detained them violently, binding their hands behind their backs and gagging their mouths after attempting to seize their computers. The pair was transported to a military base in the occupied Golan Heights, where they endured four hours of mistreatment.

“For four hours, we were forced to sit on the ground cross-legged with our hands behind our backs. We were mistreated, insulted, and humiliated by the soldiers,” Mercadier stated. He described repeated interrogations, intimidation, and threats, claiming he was thrown to the ground and beaten for refusing to unlock his phone.

Following their release in a nearby village, Mercadier noted that their SIM cards, phones, cameras, and memory cards were confiscated and not returned. “I was deprived of my equipment needed for work,” he said.

The Israeli army claimed the two were released along with their belongings after questioning. However, Mercadier’s account contrasts sharply with this statement.

The incident occurred amid increased Israeli military actions in Syria following the collapse of the 61-year-old Baath regime on the same day.

Israel has occupied the Golan Heights since 1967 and recently expanded its presence, advancing within 25 kilometers of Damascus.