Exiled by war and a victim of geopolitics, Hassan Al Kontar found himself trapped in the arrivals zone at Kuala Lumpur Airport in 2018, unable to obtain a visa for any country. A conscientious objector to the Syrian conflict, his cellphone became his only weapon as he used social media to tell his story to the world.

@kontar81

When revolution and war came to Syria in 2011, Hassan Al Kontar was living and working in the UAE. His refusal to return to Syria for compulsory military service was a decision that changed the course of his life. With an expired passport and work visa, Al Kontar was forced to live for years as a homeless "illegal" before being deported to Malaysia in 2017. There, unable to obtain a visa for any other country, he was stranded in the arrivals zone at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Exiled by war and trapped by geopolitics, Al Kontar turned to social media, using honesty and humour to tell his story to the world. His tweets, posts and videos went viral, leading to mainstream media celebrity and, ultimately, escape from his airport prison.