Muhammad Isa al-Bakr

Madad Ahl al-Sham was an online Qatar-based fundraising campaign purportedly created to provide humanitarian supplies to Syrian citizens in need.[4] In an online flyer attributed to the campaign and distributed primarily through social media, the Madad Ahl al-Sham campaign requests donations from Qatari citizens to provide medicine, food, and clothes to Syrian civilians.[3] In 2013, it was reported that as many as 31 tons of food and household medical items were transferred to Syrian citizens and refugees through the Turkish border in the sixth, seventh, and eighth installments of an assistance program funded by the donations collected by Madad Ahl al-Sham.[5]

A member of Madad Ahl al-Sham, Mohammed Helwan al-Seqatri, told the Qatari newspaper al-Watan that over 50 young Qataris were volunteering for the campaign by collecting donations to be sent to Syria through the Turkish and Jordanian borders.[6] According to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism, the Madad Ahl al-Sham online fundraising campaign was shut down by Qatari authorities in 2014.[7][8]

Muhammad Isa al-Bakr was a promoter and coordinator of donations for Madad Ahl al-Sham.[3] In early 2014, al-Bakr featured in a video promoting Madad Ahl al-Sham and describing its mission and activities.[3][9] Al-Bakr also promoted the campaign, distributed its fliers, and showcased its aid collections and deliveries through his personal Twitter account.[10][11][12][13] In 2014, a video surfaced online showing the delivery of food and toys to Syrian citizens in packages boxes.[14] The boxes in the video are labeled as having been delivered under the supervision of Muhammad Isa al-Bakr.[14]

It is believed that Muhammad Isa al-Bakr works for the Qatar-based telecommunications company Q-Tel Group.[1]

On March 22, 2013, Muhammad Isa al-Bakr and Mansour bin Rashed al-Matroushi were arrested by plain-clothes officers while returning from a family trip to Mesaieed in the Southeast of Qatar.[24] The two men were taken to the police headquarters in Doha and their families were notified that al-Bakr and al-Matroushi were being detained, but they did not receive a reason for their detainment.[25] On March 23, 2013 both men were interrogated at the offices of the State Security Prosecutor reportedly without being informed of any charges or an arrest warrant.[25] Qatari authorities, however, claimed that arrest warrants were issued.[26]

On March 23 both men were placed in solitary confinement until March 27 when they were granted regular use of the prison phone line and were allowed a visit from family members and members of the Qatari National Human Rights Committee.[25] While in detention, al-Bakr and al-Matroushi were re-questioned about the letter to the French embassy.[26] Reports also emerged that the two men had begun a hunger strike on the morning of April 8. By April 11 al-Baker had allegedly become too ill to speak on the phone or walk.[25][27] Al-Bakr and al-Matroushi were released on April 18, 2013 after having been detained for 28 days but were banned from leaving Qatar upon their release.[28]

It is believed that the arrest of al-Bakr and al-Matroushi was prompted by their delivery of a letter dated March 3, 2013 to the French embassy in Qatar.[25] Although the French embassy declined to comment on the letter, the embassy contacted Qatari authorities on March 7 who claimed the letter made clear threats to the embassy and France.[26] According to a Doha News translation, the letter demands that the French government immediately ceases its military campaign in Mali “or else you (the French) will be exposing yourselves to the wrath of people who love death as much as you love life.” [26]