Damascus, Dec. 16 (SANA) A report by the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) has revealed the hidden role of Branch 300 (Counter-Espionage Branch) of the former regime’s General Intelligence Directorate. Since 2011, this unit has become a key instrument in the regime’s systematic repression of civilians and political opponents.
Nature and Role of Branch 300
Established in the late 1970s to monitor foreigners and combat espionage, Branch 300’s mission expanded significantly following the 2011 Syrian uprising. It began surveilling political and civil activities, monitoring financial transfers and international communications, and targeting anyone suspected of contact with foreign entities, including journalists, activists, and ordinary civilians.
The branch was operating out of an unmarked building in the Kafr Sousa security district in Damascus. It houses underground detention cells, interrogation and torture rooms, while the upper floors are reserved for offices and technical departments.
Scale of Documented Violations
According to the report, SNHR has documented that Branch 300 conducted 17,438 cases of arbitrary detention, resulting in 2,463 deaths under torture. These findings are based on leaked security documents, internal correspondence, and testimonies from survivors and victims’ families, confirming the systematic nature of the violations.
Patterns of Abuse
The abuses documented include arrests without judicial warrants, based on vague suspicions. Detainees were subjected to severe physical and psychological torture to extract forced confessions on fabricated charges such as “collaboration with foreign entities” or “receiving foreign funding.” Medical care was systematically denied, leading to many detainees dying in their cells. Many were later transferred to other brutal security branches or to Saydnaya Prison.
Security Coordination and Command Responsibility
Branch 300 operated as part of an integrated security network, closely coordinating with other branches of the General Intelligence Directorate and reporting directly to the National Security Office.
These violations were not isolated incidents but part of a state policy, with senior leadership bearing direct responsibility, particularly during the tenures of Zuhair Hamad (2011–2012), Mohammad Deeb Zeitoun (2013–2019), and Hossam Mohammad Louqa (2020–2024).
Legal Characterization
The report concludes that the violations committed at Branch 300 constitute crimes against humanity, given their widespread and systematic nature and their execution as part of state policy. These crimes are not subject to statutes of limitation. The report affirms that confessions extracted under torture are legally invalid and that superior orders cannot justify such grave violations.
The findings show that Branch 300 was not merely a counter-espionage unit but a central pillar of former regime’s repression apparatus. Its use of arbitrary detention, torture, and extortion to silence society constitutes flagrant violations of international law and human rights standards. There is an urgent need for accountability and to ensure victims’ rights to truth and justice.
