Syrian investigator faces prosecution after detainee's death

An investigation by Syria’s Ministry of Interior has concluded that an investigator slapped Mohammad Ghamira, a 29-year-old former White Helmets volunteer, during an interrogation. Despite being informed that Ghamira suffered from hemophilia, a chronic condition affecting blood clotting, the investigator proceeded with the physical contact. Ghamira subsequently died in a Latakia hospital from complications related to a cerebral hemorrhage.

As a result of the findings, investigator Ahmed Jawad has been referred to the public prosecution in Latakia. Additionally, the Ministry of Interior has ordered expanded disciplinary investigations into other personnel, including Captain Ahmed Shaker al-Masri and investigator Omar Youssef, regarding negligence and failure to document the detainee’s medical condition in official records.

The Syrian Minister of Justice, Mazhar al-Wais, stated that the case is now in the hands of the judiciary, emphasizing that there will be no impunity for those found responsible. The incident has sparked widespread public outrage across Syria, drawing comparisons to historical abuses in detention centers.