Sheikh Raed al-Mutni 'dies in detention' amid intra-Druze Suweida tensions

Syrian Druze Sheikh Raed al-Mutni, a highly regarded religious figure in Suweida, has reportedly died days after being detained, local sources in the country reported.

The sheikh's body arrived at the National Hospital two days after he was detained by the National Guard, which is made up of Druze factions linked to Druze Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri. The arrest was reportedly made due to al-Mutni’s alleged collaboration with the Syrian government.

The alleged death comes amid tensions between Druze religious authorities and sheikhs in Suweida due to different positions they hold on their relationship with the transitional authorities, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

According to Syrian state news, sources confirmed that al-Hijri’s forces killed the sheikh "on charges of collaborating with the Syrian government", although Suweida governorate and the Syrian government have not yet commented on the alleged killing of the sheikh.

Reports in local media also state that al-Mutni was close to al-Hijri, however, a dispute emerged between the two of them following turmoil that broke out in Suweida in July, and the subsequent creation of the so-called National Guard in August, something which al-Mutni rejected.

Videos circulating on social media appear to show al-Mutni being beaten during his arrest, sparking anger, and condemnation.

The New Arab could not independently verify the videos and reports.

Sources in Suweida told The New Arab’s Arabic language sister publication, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, that the cause of al-Mutni’s death is still undetermined and that forensic teams are still carrying out examinations to identify the cause of his death.

The National Guard on Sunday launched a campaign of arrests in Suweida, with members raiding the home of the Syrian government’s internal security director, Suleiman Abdul Baqi.

The National Guard later claimed the raid was part of an effort to foil a "conspiracy in which a group of people were involved in coordinating with Damascus".

Some of those detained have been identified as Marwan Rizk, Assem and Gandhi Fakhreddin, in addition to Suleiman and Alamuddin Zeidan, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported.

A ceasefire has been in effect in Suweida since 19 July, ending clashes between Druze groups and government-linked Bedouin tribes that left hundreds dead. Despite the truce, the Syrian government has noted that there have been several violations carried out by al-Hijri’s followers, targeting security and army personnel.

The recent tensions come as the head of the investigation committee in Suweida, Judge Hatem al-Naasan, confirmed that the team is continuing its work and investigations into the turmoil in the governorate.

Al-Nasaan also said that the committee gathered an extensive number of testimonies from Suweida residents, and those displaced to other areas as part of the probe. He further confirmed that reports indicate there was no presence of foreign fighters in the tensions.