Former Syrian interior minister surrenders to new authorities

Former Syrian Interior Minister Mohammad al-Shaar has surrendered to the country's new authorities.

The former Interior Minister voluntarily made contact with security forces, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

He held the position of minister from 2011 to 2018 and previously headed the military police. Media outlets have reported that he is accused of suppressing a prison uprising at Saydnaya Prison in 2008, during which over 20 inmates were killed. Since mid-2011, al-Shaar has been under Western sanctions.

In late 2024, Syria underwent a change in political leadership. In November, armed opposition groups launched a major offensive against Syrian army positions.

On the night of December 8, anti-government forces declared control over Damascus and announced the overthrow of the regime of ex-president Bashar al-Assad. The president himself fled the country and sought asylum in Russia. 

On December 10, Muhammed al-Bashir, who led the so-called Salvation Government in the Idlib province, announced his appointment as head of the Syrian transitional cabinet, which is set to remain in power until March 1, 2025. 

On January 29, 2025, the Syrian Military Operations Command declared the appointment of armed opposition leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani (real name: Ahmed al-Sharaa) as the interim president of Syria for the duration of the transitional period. The country's parliament, army, all security services, and militias were dissolved, and the constitution was also suspended.

By Naila Huseynova