Latakia, Aug. 20 (SANA) The Interior Ministry said Thursday that an investigator had been detained and referred to the competent judiciary after an investigation concluded that Mohammad Ghamira’s death resulted from a slap delivered by the investigator.
The ministry said the investigator, identified by the initials A.J., had explicitly violated ministerial instructions and the code of conduct, which strictly prohibit any form of humiliating or abusive treatment of detainees.
Medical findings and investigation results
Maj. Gen. Ahmad Latouf, head of the investigation committee and assistant interior minister for police affairs, said medical experts determined that Ghamira died from complications of a cerebral hemorrhage while suffering from hemophilia.
Latouf said the investigation established that Ghamira had informed Internal Security personnel of his condition and that an investigator slapped him on the neck during questioning.
Medical experts found no visible signs of violence or severe force during the forensic examination and no skull fractures or traumatic wounds. The initial examination documented a cut on the upper right forehead and an adjacent puncture wound resulting from a medical procedure at Latakia University Hospital.
Latouf said skin cracks on Ghamira’s abdomen were linked to prolonged corticosteroid treatment, while small bruises on his right forehead and left foot were identified as pathological hemorrhagic bruising.
Latouf said investigator Ahmad Jawad was referred to the Public Prosecution in Latakia. The Interior Ministry’s Department of Disciplinary Cases and Prosecutions was also instructed to expand its disciplinary investigation into Capt. Ahmad Shaker al-Masri and investigator Omar Youssef and report its findings as soon as possible.
Accountability and legal measures
Brig. Gen. Hussein al-Hammadi, director of the Criminal Investigations Department, acknowledged procedural shortcomings and negligence by the police department chief and investigator, saying the official report did not record Ghamira’s medical condition.
Latouf said Ghamira had a serious chronic condition requiring special handling that was not provided during questioning, adding that those responsible for shortcomings would be held accountable through the judiciary.
The Interior Ministry said the law applies to all its personnel without exception and that it would not tolerate anyone exceeding their authority or abusing their position, saying those responsible would be referred to the competent judiciary under legal procedures.
Latakia Attorney General Osama Shannaq pledged to expedite legal proceedings and ensure that anyone proven responsible for negligence or shortcomings in Ghamira’s death receives appropriate punishment.
Brig. Gen. Samer al-Hussein, adviser to the interior minister for legal affairs and human rights, said detainees’ rights and dignity must be protected, adding that the ministry was working to strengthen personnel capabilities through regular training.
The committee was formed under instructions from Interior Minister Anas Khattab to determine the causes and circumstances of Ghamira’s death. It reviewed procedures surrounding his detention at al-Haffah Police Department following a complaint alleging theft and heard testimony from his family and local residents.
Ghamira, 29, worked for the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management and had participated in rescuing hundreds of people from rubble following bombardment by the ousted regime and its allies. He was married and had two children.
Latouf said Ghamira’s body was handed over to his family for burial.
F.J./MF
