DAMASCUS: The Syrian Arabic Republic’s security forces have arrested 10 former members of the Bashar Assad regime in a series of operations across the country.
The campaign is a part of an ongoing operation to pursue former officials accused of crimes and abuses committed under the rule of Assad, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported.
The Interior Ministry said on Wednesday that security operations conducted over the past two days in Daraa, Aleppo and Idlib provinces resulted in the detention of several wanted individuals linked to the ousted regime.
According to a ministry source quoted by SANA, those arrested include a former commander of the First Corps and former head of the security and military committee in southern Syria, a former guard at the notorious Saydnaya prison accused of violations against detainees, and a former officer in the Republican Guard.
Arrest in Latakia
The latest detentions follow a high-profile arrest announced on Tuesday in the coastal province of Latakia.
Internal Security Forces said they had detained Osama Mahmoud Hamouda, a former non-commissioned officer accused of participating in abuses against civilians during the rule of Assad.
Brig. Gen. Abdul Aziz Hilal Al-Ahmad, head of Internal Security in Latakia, said Hamouda was arrested following an extensive surveillance and monitoring operation after he allegedly attempted to flee the country with the assistance of criminal networks.
Authorities accuse him of supplying information to intelligence agencies, participating in arbitrary detention campaigns and engaging in financial extortion.
Key to transitional justice
Speaking to SANA on Wednesday, Attorney General Hassan Al-Turba said that prosecuting major criminals through Syria’s courts was essential to achieving transitional justice.
Al-Turba said the Ministry of Justice was working with the Interior Ministry, the National Commission for Transitional Justice and the National Commission for Missing Persons to identify and prosecute those responsible for violations against the Syrian people.
He said authorities have introduced measures to prevent suspects from fleeing the country, including arrest warrants in absentia and efforts to pursue fugitives through Interpol, international agreements and diplomatic channels.
Al-Turba said witness-protection measures have been established to encourage testimony, and that international organizations are helping with technical assistance, training and capacity-building programs.
“Prosecuting major criminals is not merely a judicial procedure,” Al-Turba said.
