Syria arrests senior member of Assad’s Air Force Intelligence

Syrian authorities announced on Saturday the arrest of a former security official in the fallen regime of Bashar al-Assad, who had held a senior position in the Air Force Intelligence branch in the Aleppo province, northern Syria.

The Deir ez-Zor Governorate said on its Telegram account that the local Public Security Administration had “arrested Brigadier General Saleh Mohammad Al-Basis, a figure from the former regime”. 

It added that Al-Basis had served as “Deputy Head of the Air Force Intelligence Branch in Aleppo Province and had led numerous security campaigns against civilians there”.

The specific nature of his crimes has not been disclosed, but the Air Force Intelligence in Aleppo is known to have been involved in the torture and disappearances of thousands of civilians and political targets.

Al-Basis’s arrest comes as the new Syrian government looks to bring former members of the Assad regime suspected of being involved in crimes against the Syrian people during the civil war to justice. 

Last Wednesday, the Syrian government announced the arrest of Brigadier General Salem Dagestani, the former head of the Investigation Branch in the Air Force Intelligence Directorate, in the city of Latakia, northwestern Syria.

Dagestani is considered one of the most prominent suspects implicated in committing war crimes during his tenure in prominent security positions, including heading the Investigation Department at the infamous Saydnaya Prison and leading the Security Committee in the Eastern Ghouta area, where he played a central role in implementing the “reconciliation” process.

This included helping to place the area under a brutal siege, as well as the killing and ethnic cleansing of over 1000 civilians. 

Earlier this month, the Ministry also announced the arrest of Mahmoud Shaddoud, a former regime member, in the Homs Province in central Syria, for his role in carrying out crimes against humanity and war crimes, including the massacre of civilians and the burning of homes in the Baba Amr neighbourhood.

On March 26, the Damascus Security Directorate arrested Maher Ziad Hadid, a former military commander and a key figure in Military Security in the Tadamon neighbourhood in the Damascus countryside.

The Director of the Damascus Security Directorate, Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Rahman Al-Dabbagh, announced on 13 April that a number of wanted individuals had been arrested in the Barzeh area.

“A security operation resulted in the arrest of several wanted individuals and the seizure of weapons and ammunition in their possession, which were prepared for use in acts aimed at terrorising peaceful citizens.

Those arrested will be referred to the Public Prosecution to take the necessary legal measures against them and ensure they receive their just punishment,” Al-Dabbagh said that.