Latakia (SANA) An investigation committee began work in Latakia on Monday to determine the circumstances surrounding a citizen’s death and establish the facts, under the direct instructions of Interior Minister Anas Khattab.
The committee, headed by Maj. Gen. Ahmad Latouf, began its work to examine the circumstances of the death accurately and transparently, Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba says.
Al-Baba stresses that the rights and safety of citizens are protected by law, adding that the strictest legal measures will be taken against anyone proven responsible for any violation or negligence, regardless of position. He stresses that no one will be allowed to evade accountability and that the family has the right to know the truth.
He says the committee’s work will not be limited to the incident itself, but will also include evaluating the performance of all police departments across Syria, with particular attention to Latakia, and issuing recommendations to improve their performance.
Al-Baba also says the committee has arrived in the town of al-Haffah to hear testimony from the victim’s family and local residents. Its work will continue for three days, reflecting the ministry’s commitment to completing the investigation fairly. He adds that an independent, professional medical committee will be formed to examine the body from a forensic-medical perspective.
Investigation committee
Khattab issued Administrative Order No. 471 on Sunday establishing the committee to investigate Mohammad Ghamira’s death and determine its causes and the circumstances surrounding it.
The committee comprises Brig. Gen. Samer Mahmoud al-Hussein, Interior Minister’s Adviser for Legal Affairs and Human Rights; Brig. Gen. Muath Khaled al-Jamal, Director of the Department of Disciplinary Cases and Prosecutions; and Brig. Gen. Hussein Alawi al-Hammadi, Director of the Criminal Investigations Department.
The order requires the committee to submit its findings to the ministry within 72 hours of its issuance and authorizes it to seek assistance from anyone it deems appropriate to complete its work.
Circumstances of detention and death
The Latakia Internal Security Command announced on August 14 that the competent authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding Ghamira’s detention at al-Haffah Police Department following a complaint alleging that he stole a sum of money.
The investigation includes examining the circumstances of his detention and whether the procedures taken against him complied with applicable legal requirements, while taking into consideration his medical condition, as he suffered from hemophilia, and ensuring that he received appropriate medical care.
On August 16, the command announced that seven people who were in the detention room at al-Haffah Police Department during Ghamira’s detention have been placed in custody pending investigation, based on the findings of the committee formed to follow up on the case.
Ghamira died on Sunday at the University Hospital in Latakia.
Interior Minister Khattab offered his condolences to Ghamira’s family and says any violation or misconduct by Interior Ministry personnel will be dealt with firmly under the law, with anyone found responsible receiving the appropriate penalty once the investigations are completed.
Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh also mourned Ghamira and says he died from complications of cerebral and gastrointestinal bleeding resulting from being beaten after his detention at al-Haffah Police Department. Al-Saleh notes that Ghamira suffered from hemophilia, which increases the risk of bleeding and its complications.
Al-Saleh says he followed the case with the interior minister from the first day of the incident and that the police station personnel accused of beating Ghamira have been detained and will face legal measures.
Family awaits investigation results
Dr. Issam Ghamira, director of al-Haffah General Hospital and the deceased’s uncle, says the family trusts the judiciary and awaits the investigation’s findings and justice for Ghamira and his family under the law.
Speaking after a meeting Sunday evening with al-Haffah residents and community figures, the police commander and his deputy, and the head of the intelligence branch, Dr. Ghamira says Ghamira, 29, responded to a summons to the police station and was beaten by officers there, describing the incident as an “individual, brutal act.” He says the alleged beating led to a deterioration in Ghamira’s health and his transfer to hospital.
He says Ghamira’s condition later deteriorated, progressing to cerebral bleeding and neurological symptoms, followed by a coma, kidney failure, low blood pressure and hypoxia, ultimately leading to his death.
Dr. Ghamira says the Interior Ministry and Health Directorate followed Ghamira’s condition and helped secure the necessary treatment for his hemophilia. He adds that the case is now before the judiciary to determine responsibility, and stresses that the family and residents of al-Haffah want it addressed through legal channels while maintaining calm and stability.
About the victim
The Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management says it is closely following the investigation with the relevant authorities at the Interior Ministry to uncover the circumstances of the incident and hold those responsible accountable in accordance with legal procedures.
The ministry says Ghamira was one of its staff members. He was from al-Haffah in the Latakia countryside, was born in Douma in the Damascus countryside in 1997 and grew up there, and participated in rescuing hundreds of people from under the rubble of bombardment by the former regime and its allies.
Ghamira had recently returned to al-Haffah. He was married and had two children, while his father was among those killed during the Syrian revolution.
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