Syria16 August, 20262 min read
Syria Detains Seven After Mohammed Ghumeira Dies Following Beatings at Latakia Police Station
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Seven people detained in Latakia, investigation launched into death of Mohammed Ghumeira after custodial beating. Died from brain and GI hemorrhaging linked to beating; Ghumeira suffered from hemophilia.
7 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Asad Al-Shaibani Meets Saddam Haftar in Benghazi Over Syrian Consulate And Missing Syrians →
Custody death in Latakia
Syria detained seven people after Mohammed Ghumeira died in custody following beatings at a police station in Latakia province, with the emergencies and disaster management ministry saying he died “due to complications from brain and gastrointestinal haemorrhaging due to him being beaten after he was detained.” The ministry identified Ghumeira as one of its personnel in his late twenties, and said he was married with two children and suffered from haemophilia.
A family source told AFP on condition of anonymity that Ghumeira was accused of stealing a large sum of money, detained for three days before being released due to insufficient evidence, and that he had been badly tortured, which led to a deterioration in his health and then his death. State television said security forces in Latakia had detained seven people for investigation who were present at the time of the incident, and Interior minister Anas Khattab vowed that any violation or misconduct by interior ministry personnel would be dealt with firmly according to the relevant law and procedures.
Detentions and competing accounts
TRT World said seven people were detained in Syria on Sunday after reports that a young man died while in custody, naming Mohammed Gamira as the detainee held in Latakia province on suspicion of theft. TRT World reported that the Latakia Internal Security Command said an investigation had been launched into the events that occurred while Gamira was being held at the Haffeh police station, and that seven personnel on duty at the police station’s detention facility were detained as part of the investigation.
In a statement on Telegram, the Interior Ministry's Security Command said the investigation would examine the circumstances of Gamira’s detention and whether the procedures carried out against him complied with legal requirements. The Media Line described the death as reviving torture concerns, saying Ghumaira died Sunday, August 16, after spending several days in intensive care following a severe deterioration in his health after his release from the al-Haffah police station in rural Latakia.
Investigation timelines and stakes
Al-Jazirah Net reported that the Syrian Minister of Interior, Anas Al-Qatib, issued an administrative order forming a investigation committee to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of Muhammad Ghmirah, tasked with completing its work within 72 hours. Al-Jazirah Net said the committee was chaired by the Deputy Minister of Interior for Police Affairs, Major General Ahmed Muhammad Latouf, and was tasked with investigating the circumstances and revealing the true causes and surrounding factors of his death.
The Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management stated that Muhammad Ghmirah died “as a result of complications from a brain hemorrhage and bleeding in his digestive system due to being beaten after his arrest.” Al-Jazirah Net also quoted a family source saying he was “accused of stealing an amount of money and was detained for three days before being released due to insufficient evidence,” while describing severe torture that led to a deterioration in his health and then his death.