Anger has surged across Syria after former White Helmets rescuer Mohammed Gamira died following a 72-hour detention at Haffeh police station in Latakia. Family members allege he was beaten and that his chronic haemophilia was ignored, leading to fatal internal bleeding. Authorities have opened an investigation and Interior Minister Anas Khattab has pledged legal action if wrongdoing is found. Protests in Latakia have already taken place and nationwide demonstrations are planned.
Syria Opens Probe After Death Of Former 'White Helmets' Rescuer in Police Custody as Protests Erupt
Members of Syrian security forces ride on back of vehicles in Latakia, where Gamira died. [File: Haidar Mustafa/Reuters]
Public outrage has spread across Syria after the death of Mohammed Gamira, a former member of the volunteer White Helmets civil defence group, following his detention at the Haffeh police station in Latakia province.
Authorities say Gamira died in hospital after being held over a reported financial dispute. Local security officials have opened an investigation into the circumstances of his detention, while family members and witnesses allege he was beaten during a 72-hour detention and that his chronic haemophilia was ignored, triggering catastrophic internal bleeding.
Images circulating on social media showed Gamira receiving intensive care at Tishreen University Hospital and prompted public anger. Protests took place in Latakia on Monday, and organisers have called for nationwide demonstrations in response to the case.
Official Response and Investigation
In a statement, the Latakia Internal Security Command confirmed an inquiry has been launched to examine what happened while Gamira was held at the Haffeh police station. The Ministry of Interior's Security Command said the probe will review whether the procedures carried out during his detention complied with legal requirements. State news agency SANA said the investigation will also take into account Gamira's health condition.
Interior Minister Anas Khattab expressed condolences to the family and pledged that any violations or misconduct by Interior Ministry personnel would be addressed "firmly" and in accordance with the law. "Anyone found responsible will receive their due punishment, regardless of who they are, once the investigations are completed," he wrote on X.
“He sustained a brain haemorrhage as well as other internal bleeding in his abdomen, and he died last night,”
reported Al Jazeera's Heidi Pett from Latakia.
Why This Resonates
The case has struck a raw nerve in Syria because memories of widespread torture and deaths in detention under President Bashar al-Assad's government remain fresh for many Syrians. Human-rights groups and monitors have documented large-scale abuses during the conflict, including mass deaths in facilities such as Sednaya prison.
While the scale and perpetrators of abuses have varied across different areas and periods of the conflict, observers say Gamira's death has rekindled public fears about mistreatment in detention and the need for accountability and transparent investigations.
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