Syria between holding wrongdoer accountable and protecting oppressed

When did you enslave people, when their mothers bore them free?

This isn't an invitation to thuggery or a lust for power, but rather a personal experience recounted by a member of the Ministry of Interior's Training and Rehabilitation Branch.

Strict Daily Instructions

The officer says: "Every day, we receive directives from our leadership prohibiting beating, cursing, or assaulting others. A few months ago, a clear internal directive was issued: Do not draw your weapon, even if the aggressor is armed. Do not fire unless you are shot first." He adds that these instructions are repeated in morning meetings by the commanding officer, becoming part of the officers' daily routine.

The branch where the officer works is an internal branch, whose primary mission is to raise the physical, military, and moral standards of its personnel, not to deal directly with citizens. Nevertheless, the strict instructions apply both internally and externally, and any minor incident is immediately referred to the disciplinary department for appropriate punishment.

Leadership is the foundation.

The officer affirms that the integrity of the leadership means the integrity of the rank and file, and its corruption means the corruption of everyone: if the leader is firm, strict, and ethical, everyone will be upright. But if the leadership is corrupt, the rank and file will be corrupt. He points out that most of the branch's personnel are sons of the revolution, making adherence to values ​​and ethics part of their identity.

In the event of an individual transgression, the entire system cannot be undermined because of one person's mistake: no one bears the burden of another's sins. The state is our state, and it deals very firmly with its personnel and does not tolerate any wrongdoing.

However, he acknowledges a weakness in the security vetting of personnel, which necessitates serious attention.

The officer concludes his testimony with a clear stance on the violations: May God have mercy on the martyr who was killed under torture in one of the Latakia police stations. Our condolences to his family, and may his killer receive just retribution. I believe in this wholeheartedly because of my trust in our state.