Entire families from Moadamiyat al-Sham lost their livelihoods, as they lost access to their agricultural lands. “Properties must be returned to their rightful owners and disputes must be resolved through the courts; we, the people of Moadamiyat al-Sham, are oppressed,” Idris said. Landowners from Moadamiyat al-Sham with property in al-Somoriyeh have filed a collective complaint to the provincial council of Damascus demanding the return of their properties, Idris said. Around 85 percent of the lands of Moadamiyat al-Sham, which includes the neighborhood of al-Somoriyeh, were seized by the state, he said. During Assad’s rule, Moadamiyat al-Sham was subject to a four-year siege and targeted by a chemical weapons attack in 2013.