Abdalaziz Alhamza

Abdalaziz Alhamza is an award-winning Syrian journalist, human rights defender, and activist. He is the co-founder and spokesperson of Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS), which is a non-partisan, independent organization that exposes the atrocities committed by the Bashar Al-Assad regime and ISIS in Syria. He is also a fellow at New America, the McCain Institute and the EastWest Institute.

Alhamza started non-violent protests and demonstrations against the Syrian regime in 2011 and was arrested by the regime three times in 2012. ISIS interrogated him more than once about his activism. After ISIS took control of his hometown, Raqqa, in January 2014, he escaped to Turkey and co-founded RBSS to show the reality of life in Raqqa under ISIS rule to the rest of the world. Smuggled video footage and images, for which his friends risked their lives to obtain, have been shown on every television network and print media including CNN, BBC, Al-Jazeera, MSNBC.

Speeches

Syria

Speaking out against ISIS with Abdalaziz Alhamza

Abdalaziz Alhamza, award-winning journalist and co-founder of Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, which exposes the atrocities committed by the Assad regime and ISIS, addresses the 11th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy – see quotes below, followed by full prepared remarks. On becoming a citizen journalist: “The local