Damascus, July 16 (SANA) The arrest of Ahmad Habib Ali, a former senior official linked to Syria’s chemical weapons program, marks an important step in efforts to investigate and prosecute crimes involving the use of chemical weapons, Syrian Network for Human Rights Director Fadel Abdul Ghany said on Thursday.
In remarks to SANA, Abdul Ghany said the significance of the arrest goes beyond detaining an alleged field operative because of Habib’s senior role at the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) and within the ousted regime’s chemical weapons program.
He said Habib’s position as a former head of the SSRC and official responsible for chemical production at Unit 417 placed him within the program’s leadership structure, rather than in a purely technical or operational role.
Abdul Ghany said accountability for chemical weapons crimes requires investigators to trace responsibility through the full political and military chain of command, including those who planned, ordered and supervised the attacks.
He added that the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ (OPCW) reported discovery in May 2026 of undeclared chemical stockpiles at several sites in Syria further indicated the existence of an organized institutional program, rather than isolated actions by individuals.
Abdul Ghany called for cooperation with the OPCW and other international mechanisms to preserve evidence, draw on technical expertise and ensure that investigations and trials meet standards of independence, impartiality and due process.
The Interior Ministry announced on July 15 that it had arrested former Colonel Ahmad Habib Ali, whom it identified as a chemical weapons specialist responsible for sarin storage facilities and chemical production under the ousted regime.
F.J./M.Z.
