Syrian security forces arrested a militia commander in Raqqa (northern Syria) today, Thursday, May 28, at his place of residence, amid residents’ demands that he be held accountable.
Enab Baladi’s correspondent reported the arrest of Turki al-Marei, known as “Turki al-Bouhamad,” a former commander in the National Defense militia affiliated with the former Syrian regime’s army, and one of the commanders linked to Major General Suhail al-Hassan, known as “the Tiger,” in the area.
Residents and activists in Raqqa are demanding that he be held accountable and referred to the judiciary, as he is accused of committing crimes against civilians, according to Enab Baladi’s correspondent.
“Al-Bouhamad” was one of the most prominent commanders in the National Defense militia, leading a group of fighters during the former Syrian regime’s control over three towns in Raqqa countryside, al-Bouhamad, Maadan, and al-Sabkha.
After the regime fell, “al-Bouhamad” fled toward areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and stayed there, according to Enab Baladi’s correspondent, who noted that no military activity by him was observed at the time.
Before the regime’s fall, no clashes were recorded between him and the SDF, which then controlled most of Raqqa province.
As of the time this article was prepared, the Syrian Interior Ministry and official accounts had not issued any statement regarding the arrest of “al-Bouhamad.”
The First in Raqqa, Part of a Series in Other Provinces
This operation is considered the first of its kind by the Internal Security forces in Raqqa province, as Enab Baladi has not recorded any arrests of figures affiliated with the former regime in the province since it came under control last January.
By contrast, in a series of successive security operations announced by the Interior Ministry in recent weeks, authorities revealed the arrest of a number of former officers and officials who, according to the ministry, were involved in violations and crimes committed during the years of the former regime’s rule.
These operations were distributed across several Syrian provinces and included former military and security figures who held senior positions, as part of what the ministry describes as efforts to pursue wanted individuals and refer them to the competent judiciary.
Among the most prominent recent operations was the arrest of Amjad Youssef, the primary suspect in the Tadamon neighborhood massacre in Damascus, during a security operation carried out in Hama countryside on April 24.
Case Being Prepared Against Fadi Saqr
By contrast, former National Defense militia commander Fadi Saqr remains at large because of a settlement he reached with the current government and his work within a civil peace committee.
However, Zahra al-Barazi, deputy chair of the National Commission for Transitional Justice and an adviser at the Syrian Foreign Ministry, said a Syrian legal committee is preparing to file a case accusing Saqr of involvement in crimes against humanity and war crimes, including mass killing and the enforced disappearance of civilians in the Tadamon neighborhood of Damascus and other areas of the capital during the war years.
Al-Barazi explained, according to a report published by The Guardian on April 30, that although the committee was appointed by the government, it is an independent body that will refer its findings to the Syrian judiciary, which will decide whether to pursue the case.
The Guardian stated in its report that Fadi Saqr denied responsibility for the massacres and told the newspaper that he “only learned about the massacre through the media,” and that he “trusts the judicial process,” justifying his silence by saying he did not want to affect the course of the investigations.
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