ALBAWABA - The independent Syrian news outlet **Hashtag Syria** said it was closing after 12 years, citing increasing pressure, restrictions and threats against its journalists that made working from within Syria too dangerous.
The closure was not due to financial problems or falling readership, but rather a hostile climate for independent journalism that “grew increasingly hostile,” Hashtag said in a lengthy statement posted on August 23.
The outlet directly accused Syria’s Ministry of Information and the officials overseeing the media sector of having essentially driven an independent Syrian news organization out of the country.
Hashtag was created under Syria’s 2011 media law and was active during the administration of former President Bashar al-Assad. It said its journalists had investigated sensitive issues from corruption and oil smuggling to telecommunications, aviation and networks of political and economic influence.
Its staff, said the organization, had received death threats, legal action and security pressure over the years.
Hashtag said it hoped the shifting political landscape in Syria would allow more room for independent journalism after the fall of the Assad government on December 8, 2024.
The outlet, instead, says it got caught up in a fight over its licensing status.
Hashtag was banned from operating inside Syria in March 2026, over what authorities reportedly called incomplete licensing procedures. The outlet dismissed the explanation, stating it had submitted the required documents and was pursuing legal avenues to address the matter.
Hashtag officials later described the organization as “not cooperative,” a characterization it strongly denied.
“What does it mean for a media organization to be ‘cooperative’ with the Ministry of Information?” asked the outlet, arguing journalists should be scrutinizing authorities, not seeking their approval.
The pressure “shrank the team at Hashtag from about 20 journalists to six volunteers,” the company said. Some staff were targeted with smear campaigns, threats and attempted arrests, the outlet said.
Hashtag said it could move its operations overseas but had opted not to, arguing that a Syrian news organization should be able to operate from inside Syria.
The outlet announced its suspension but said it would continue to pursue legal action and preserve documents tied to the alleged threats and restrictions.
It finished its statement: “Hashtag will end today, but the questions it posed will not.”
