A former general in the Assad regime has been detained in Syria on suspicion of war crimes
Mohammad Ali Dirgam, a former army major general who served during Bashar al-Assad’s rule, was detained in the Syrian province of Tartus. He is suspected of involvement in crimes against the civilian population.
“The Tartus Province Internal Security Forces, in cooperation with the Counterterrorism Directorate, detained former Major General Mohammad Ali Dirgam, one of the high-ranking military officials of the ousted regime,” the statement said.
According to security forces, Dirgam held a number of senior military positions. In particular, during the events in Hama in 1982, he commanded a unit of the so-called “defense companies,” from 2009 to 2013 he served as field commander of the 4th Division, and subsequently as deputy commander of the 5th Division and commander of the 2nd Corps, where he served until the end of 2018.
“Preliminary investigations and documentary evidence indicate that he directly issued orders to open fire on unarmed protesters in the suburbs of Damascus and also led raids that resulted in mass arbitrary arrests,” SANA reports.
According to Syrian security forces, these actions previously served as the basis for adding Dirgam to international sanctions lists. The investigation is ongoing, and law enforcement officials are documenting the circumstances of the crimes he is accused of. Once the investigation is complete, the case is to be referred to the competent court.
A few days earlier in Latakia, security forces detained former Major General Jalal Kamel Sakr, who commanded the 18th Infantry Brigade during the ousted regime. He is suspected of involvement in war crimes and arbitrary detentions.
The Syrian Ministry of the Interior states that such operations are being carried out as part of a campaign to track down individuals suspected of crimes and violations of Syrians’ rights, and to subsequently bring them to justice.
This was reported by the Syrian state news agency SANA.
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