Abdalaziz Alhamza was a fellow in New America's International Security program. Alhamza is an award-winning Syrian journalist, human rights defender, activist, and IT trainer. He is the founder and spokesperson of Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS) which is a nonpartisan, independent organization that exposes the atrocities committed by the Syrian regime, ISIS, and other groups in Syria. Alhamza started non-volatile protests and demonstrations against the Syrian regime in 2011 and was arrested by the regime three times in 2012. The Islamic State Group (ISIS) interrogated him more than one time about his activism. After ISIS took control of his hometown, Raqqa, in January 2014, he escaped to Turkey and started RBSS with his friends to show the reality of life in Raqqa and ISIS. In 2015, Alhamza received the International Press Freedom award by the Committee to Protect Journalists and was named a Global Thinker by Foreign Policy.
In 2016, he was awarded the Ischia International Journalism Award, the Civil Courage Prize, and other awards on behalf of RBSS. Alhamza was featured in “City of Ghosts” a documentary that followed the Journey of Alhamza and his colleagues. Alhamza graduated with a degree in biochemistry from Raqqa University.