Seven Syrian security personnel arrested over detainee's death shortly after release

Syrian authorities have arrested seven security personnel in connection with the death of Mohammad Ghamira, a member of the Syrian Civil Defence, who died of internal bleeding in hospital on Sunday. Ghamira had been released from a police station in Haffah, Latakia province, on Sunday, following his arrest on suspicion of an unspecified crime.

According to a Syrian aid official, Ghamira had informed police of his condition as haemophilia, but his death appears to have been caused by severe beating. The official emphasized that police should not physically harm anyone, especially someone with a medical condition. Ghamira's death has raised concerns about ongoing mistreatment of detainees in Syria, even after the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.

The Interior Ministry stated that they have launched an investigation into the case, with police station chief among those detained. Despite the end of the Assad family's rule from 1970 to 2024, authorities reportedly took little action against anyone suspected of prisoner abuse. Hadi Al Abdullah, a pro-government activist, called for the "blood of Ghamira not to go in vain" and urged authorities to punish the assailants severely to prevent future incidents. He stated that the phrase "died under torture" should not be allowed to persist in the new Syria.

Reports of beatings and suspected deaths due to beatings by security forces have surfaced under post-Assad authorities, including the case of a judge beaten at a police station in Aleppo in March 2023. A former refugee in Germany later died in police custody in Damascus after being arrested at the Umayyad Mosque.