Syrian forces detain ex–state security officer for atrocities under Assad

Syrian security forces have arrested Khaled Mohammed al-Hussein, a former assistant officer in the State Security Branch in Idleb, on charges linked to human rights violations committed against civilians during the period of the now-deposed Assad regime.

Brigadier General Ghassan Bakir, head of internal security in Idleb, said in a statement published on the Interior Ministry’s Telegram channel that preliminary investigations show al-Hussein served as an interrogator and was directly involved in targeting opponents of the former regime, per Syrian media.

According to Bakir, he took part in fabricating charges against detainees and other civilians perceived as opponents of the authorities at the time.

Bakir said that after Idleb was liberated from the control of the ousted regime, al-Hussein relocated to Hama province, where he continued to work within the security apparatus, specifically in the Studies Department of the security branches, until the collapse of the Assad government.

The detainee has since been referred to the competent judicial authorities in accordance with Syrian laws and regulations.

The arrest comes as part of broader efforts by the Interior Ministry to pursue accountability for officials and operatives of the former regime accused of crimes against civilians.

The Assad regime collapsed after years of conflict that began with the violent suppression of popular protests and escalated into a full-scale civil war. During more than a decade in power amid the conflict, the regime and its security services were repeatedly accused by international organisations and human rights groups of widespread atrocities, including arbitrary arrests, torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings. The war and the actions of the regime are widely estimated to have resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths, with civilians accounting for a large share of the victims, and millions more displaced inside and outside the country.

Following the fall of the regime, Syrian authorities have pledged to investigate past abuses and bring those responsible to justice as part of a broader effort to address the legacy of violations committed during the Assad era.

By Tamilla Hasanova