Druze elder humiliated in viral video found alive, granddaughter says

The granddaughter of a Druze elder, whose humiliation at the hands of an armed man was captured in a viral video as Syrian forces entered Sweida this week, said he had been found alive following claims he was dead.

The widely circulated video showed Sheikh Merhej Shahin, 80, in front of his home as a man in military attire forcibly shaved off his moustache — a grave insult in the Druze community.

The family had desperately tried to contact Shahin for hours after the video began spreading on Tuesday, his granddaughter Christine Shahin told AFP, but his phone was ultimately answered by an unknown person who taunted them, saying the elder had "met his end".

But on Thursday she said he had been found alive and well by Druze fighters in the wake of government forces' withdrawal.

"Thank God, my grandfather is now home," she said.

"After the siege of our village was lifted, the young men found him safe and sound."

Syrian government forces on Tuesday entered the majority-Druze city of Sweida, in the country's south, with the stated aim of overseeing a ceasefire after clashes between local fighters and Bedouin tribes left dozens dead.

However, witnesses reported that the government forces joined with the Bedouin in attacking Druze fighters and civilians in a bloody rampage through the city.

Late Wednesday, the central government announced it was pulling out its troops after striking an accord for a ceasefire with local representatives.

The video of Merhej Shahin's mistreatment had sparked widespread anger in the Druze heartland.

According to his family, the octogenarian had been in the hands of armed groups after the video was filmed, though the exact circumstances were still unknown due to difficulties with communications.

Agence France-Presse