Stop the Collective Punishment of 14,000 Students in Sweida

We, the undersigned, call on the United Nations, UNESCO, international human rights organizations, and the global community to urgently intervene to stop the use of education as a political weapon against the people of Sweida in southern Syria.

The temporary authorities in Damascus are preventing more than 14,000 middle and high school students in Sweida from taking their official national exams inside their own province, forcing them instead to travel to Damascus under extremely dangerous conditions.

This decision comes after the sectarian and ethnic massacres committed against the Druze community last year, and amid ongoing kidnappings, arbitrary arrests, killings, and daily violations carried out by extremist armed groups and militants affiliated with the temporary Damascus authorities.

Forcing students to travel to Damascus is not an educational measure. It is a form of collective punishment and political coercion aimed at breaking the will of the people of Sweida by targeting the future of their children.

Thousands of students and families fear for their safety on the roads leading to Damascus due to the continuous threats, insecurity, and hostility directed against the Druze community.

We believe that:

- Denying students the right to take exams safely in their own province is a serious violation of human rights.

- Using education as a tool of political pressure and intimidation is morally unacceptable.

- Exposing minors and students to life-threatening dangers violates international laws protecting children and the right to education.

Therefore, we demand:

1. The immediate organization of official exams inside Sweida province under safe conditions.

2. International monitoring of the examination process to guarantee students’ safety and rights.

3. Pressure on the temporary Damascus authorities to stop using education as a means of collective punishment.

4. Protection for students and their families from threats, persecution, or retaliation related to their political or communal identity.

The future of thousands of students must not become hostage to political conflict or sectarian discrimination.

Education is a right — not a weapon.