Khaberni - The National Drama Committee in Syria announced a temporary halt to the filming of "The Caesar" following protests that deemed the work unreflective of the tragedy of the victims of Saydnaya.
Filming of the series "The Caesar" has been temporarily suspended, although it was scheduled to be released as part of the Ramadan 2026 drama series. This decision comes following public criticism and objections expressed by the Caesar Families Association, which believes the work does not reflect the magnitude of the tragedy of those detained and tortured in Saydnaya prison, and turns their suffering into dramatic material before justice is served and the facts are fully revealed.
The National Drama Committee in Syria, today Monday, announced a temporary suspension of filming the series "The Caesar," in response to the protests accompanying the announcement of the project, which is based on events inspired by narratives related to what occurred inside Saydnaya prison, known in Syria and the world, and consists of 30 episodes spread over ten trilogies.
Filming of "The Caesar"
The decision issued by the committee stated that the suspension came "in response to the protests which considered the work does not express the extent of the tragedy of the victims of detention and torture in Syria," indicating that the continuation of the project will not occur before conducting a comprehensive review that includes changing the series' name and reevaluating the list of participants, in alignment with the sensitivity of the situation and in an effort to preserve civil peace.
The committee clarified that the choice of the name "Caesar" was simply due to a similarity in names, and the work does not focus on a specific individual, including the reference to "Caesar/Fareed Al-Dahan," asserting that the dramatic treatment contains elements of fiction and does not entirely depend on documented events.
The Caesar Families Association issued a statement on February 18, expressing their firm rejection of transforming their tragedy into dramatic works displayed on screens, confirming that the wounds of the families are still open, and the suffering of the victims should not be employed in artistic or commercial contexts.
Series "The Caesar"
The statement was a response to the series titled "The Caesar: No Place No Time," which is produced by Power Production under the supervision of Amir Mustafa Naamo, with artistic production by Yamen Set Al-Banin, and is scheduled to air as part of the Ramadan 2026 drama season on MBC and the Shahid digital platform.
The association strongly emphasized in their statement that "truth and justice precede drama," demanding that no work dealing with the issue of detainees be shown before the full facts are revealed and the burial sites identified and the remains returned to their families with dignity. It also condemned what it described as the "lack of ethical capacity" in some actors who had previously pledged allegiance to the previous regime or mocked the pain of the victims, considering anyone who "applauded the killer does not have the moral right to represent the pain of the slain."
The statement reiterated that the stories of the victims represent a "historical trust that cannot be bought or sold in the television production market," warning against presenting them in an entertainment context, especially under the supervision of involved parties, as this would constitute a falsification of consciousness and a new offense to the families of the victims, and concluded by emphasizing that "justice is sought in courts, not in filming studios."
In a related context, another dramatic work inspired by events in Saydnaya prison is expected to be released next Ramadan, titled Leaving the Well, directed by Mohamed Lotfy, written by Samer Radwan, and starring a number of Syrian and Arab artists, among them Jamal Suliman
