DUBAI/DAMASCUS,— The United Arab Emirates has released former Syrian rebel leader Issam Buwaydani from prison nearly a year after his detention for reasons that were not disclosed in the country.

He returned to Damascus on Thursday, a Syrian military official told AFP.

Buwaydani led Jaish al-Islam, a faction that fought against former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, who was later ousted.

His arrival came one day after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited the UAE, where he met President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

“Issam Buwaydani arrived in Damascus,” the official said, adding that Sharaa and Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra received him at the presidential palace.

In April 2025, Jaish al-Islam said Buwaydani was detained at Dubai airport after entering the UAE on a Turkish passport for a private visit. The reason for his arrest was not made public.

In recent months, supporters and family members staged demonstrations in Damascus, urging authorities to intervene for his release.

On April 3, 2026, dozens of protesters gathered outside the UAE embassy, chanting “the Zionist embassy” and attempting to enter the compound.

Jaish al-Islam was a major Islamist faction during Syria’s war and once controlled Eastern Ghouta near Damascus.

Since Assad’s overthrow in December 2024, Buwaydani has appeared alongside al-Sharaa on several occasions.

In Douma, his hometown, residents prepared for his return under heavy security, according to an AFP correspondent.

Activists have accused the group of involvement in the December 2013 kidnapping of four human rights activists, including lawyer and journalist Razan Zeitouneh.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, is the interim president of Syria.

His background includes past involvement with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, followed by the creation of the al-Nusra Front, which was initially aligned with al-Qaeda before later rebranding as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

(With files from AFP, Agencies)

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