Former militant Abdurahman Jisr, who came to be legalized in the Russian center for reconciliation of warring parties in the Syrian city of Deraa, told reporters how he and his accomplices were funded by the United States, urging them to fight against the authorities.
"We were first sent to study in Jordan, then here. The money was paid by the Americans, they said we should fight against the state. When the Syrian army began to liberate district after district, our group went to Jordan, and the wounded were taken to Israel. Then I realized that I didn't want to go anywhere, that I was not involved in what it seemed at the very beginning. I feel cheated," he said.
Every day, 200-300 people come to the reconciliation center who want to surrender and start leading a peaceful life. In total, more than five thousand such applications were processed during its operation. The main condition for legalization is to come to the center and confirm your support for the Syrian peace process. Documents are accepted by five specialists, then they are checked by special services.
The reconciliation center not only registers citizens, but also works on their further socialization. Among the former militants is the artist Abdurakhman, who after legalization got a job in the department of folk crafts of the Deraa cultural center.
Another task of Russian specialists is to work as intermediaries between former adversaries, who are now restoring the destroyed city and looking for ways of peaceful coexistence. Dr. Ahmad al-Ameri, who helped set up the center, told reporters that Deraa residents hope that Russian assistance will speed up the process.
"There are very sensitive issues-especially those related to the detention of people in prisons, the restoration of destroyed housing, and so on. There has been a war in our country for nine years. And we hope that the Russians will help us come to an agreement, we understand that this will not happen quickly," he stressed.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: AP / TASS
Based on materials from RIA Novosti