Syria20 August, 20262 min read
Syrian Police Investigator Ahmad Jawad Faces Prosecution After Slapping Mohammad Ghamira in Latakia
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Investigator Ahmad Jawad slapped detainee Mohammad Ghamira, who had a medical condition, leading to death. Interior Ministry says Jawad detained, referred to prosecutors for criminal prosecution.
Slap Leads to Death
A Syrian police investigator slapped Mohammad Ghamira during questioning despite warnings about his haemophilia, and Ghamira died in a hospital in Latakia after being released from jail following a theft allegation.
State news agency SANA said an Interior Ministry investigation concluded the slap delivered during questioning led to the death of the 29-year-old detainee, and it referred detective Ahmad Jawad to prosecutors in Latakia.
Maj. Gen. Ahmad Latouf, head of the investigation committee and assistant interior minister for police affairs, said medical experts determined Ghamira died from complications of a cerebral hemorrhage.
The Interior Ministry said Ghamira had informed Internal Security personnel of his medical condition before Jawad slapped him on the neck during questioning, and it said Jawad’s action “explicitly violated” instructions and a code of conduct that prohibit humiliating or abusive treatment of detainees.
SANA reported forensic experts found no skull fractures or traumatic wounds and no visible signs of severe force, while small bruises were attributed to haemorrhaging associated with his condition.
Prosecution and Outrage
Syria’s interior ministry said the investigator would face prosecution after the death of Ghamira, and it announced initial results of the inquiry on Thursday.
The Hill, citing AP, reported Maj. Gen. Ahmed Latouf said investigators found that a police interrogator slapped Ghamira in the neck during interrogation despite Ghamira having told police personnel about his medical condition, and it said the interrogator was referred to the public prosecution division.
Interior Minister Anas Khattab said in a statement that the investigation results showed the ministry’s “commitment to reaching the truth and holding accountable those proven to have overstepped.”
Al Jazeera reported that two other police officers are also being investigated but are not currently due to be prosecuted, and it described widespread anger among Syrians as a reminder of abuses systematic under former President Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
Al Jazeera’s Heidi Pett said the case resonated widely because Ghamira was “a young man, 29 years old, and he had two children and was a volunteer with the White Helmets.”
Disciplinary Scope and Next Steps
Beyond referring Ahmad Jawad to the Public Prosecution in Latakia, the Interior Ministry said it would expand disciplinary investigations to include Capt. Ahmad Shaker al-Masri and investigator Omar Youssef.
SANA said Brig. Gen. Hussein al-Hammadi acknowledged procedural shortcomings and negligence by the police department chief and investigator, including a failure to record Ghamira’s medical condition in the official report.
The Dhaka Tribune-style framing is not present here; instead, the Syrian Interior Ministry said the law applies to all its personnel “without exception” and that it would not tolerate anyone exceeding authority or abusing a position.
Al Jazeera reported the Interior Ministry accused Jawad of violating ministerial instructions and the code of conduct, and it said the wife twice informed authorities about the potential danger.
The investigation committee reviewed procedures surrounding Ghamira’s detention at al-Haffah Police Department after a complaint alleging theft, and SANA said Ghamira’s body was handed over to his family for burial.