The former military photographer known as “Caesar,” whose graphic images of the Syrian civil war drove Congress to enact sanctions bearing his name, will return to Capitol Hill next week to tell lawmakers to repeal them, according to plans shared first with Semafor.
Farid al-Madhan is slated to testify next Thursday before the 18 members of the Senate and House on the Helsinki Commission. Rabbi Yosef Hamra and Mirna Barq of Syrian Christians for Peace will also appear.
Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., is still resisting a White House-backed push to include a repeal of the Caesar Act in must-pass defense legislation, people familiar with the talks said.
Mast’s Democratic counterpart, Rep. Greg Meeks of New York, told Semafor he wants the lawmakers involved in negotiations to plan a trip to Syria to build consensus: “That makes a difference to get to see certain things on the ground.”