Ayad Abdul Jalil

I never imagined that speaking the truth would put me behind bars twice, but I was ready to sacrifice everything for my family and their rights.

My name is Ayad Abdul Jalil, an investigative journalist from Tawergha.

My career in journalism began as an escalation to my family situation, growing up in a displaced city for over twelve years, carrying the suffering of people who were deprived of their right to a decent life.

Forced relocation was a wound that left behind scattered families and shattered dreams. That's the reason I work tirelessly to become the voice that expressed their suffering, to convey the truth, and to write about the injustice they were subjected to. The people of Tawergha trusted me and turned to me for help.

It wasn’t easy to defend our rights as I was imprisoned once in 2018 and twice in 2024 for telling the truth. Those were harsh experiences, I felt as if my freedom would be taken away forever! But I didn't give up. I knew that every moment behind bars meant I was fulfilling my duty to my country. Journalism, for me, isn't just a profession, but a directive and an unyielding trust.

I was offered optimal opportunities to work abroad, but I couldn’t stay away whilst my family suffered. I decided to return to Tawergha to be the voice that carried the truth so that I could help alleviate their stress.

Despite years of frail attempts to reclaim the rights of Tawergha, till today, there are more than 40,000 Tawerghans that yearn to return, and more than 400 families remain denied their right to return to a village that is an integral part of Tawergha’s heritage. While those who have returned live in ruined and unsanitary homes, without hospitals, schools, and basic welfare.

I hope that Tawergha is returned to its people and becomes an independent municipality so that they will live a dignified life that preserves their basic rights, far from injustice and oppression, for there is no honor in living agonizingly on your own land.