The arrest of Jalal Kamel Saqr, a former brigade commander in the regime forces, on charges of war crimes and arbitrary detention

The Internal Security Command in Latakia Governorate, in cooperation with the Counter-Terrorism Department, announced the arrest of Jalal Kamel Saqr, who previously served as commander of the 18th Infantry Brigade in the former regime forces.

According to the Internal Security Command, Saqr comes from the village of Basin in the Qardaha countryside, and the results of investigations indicate his involvement in war crimes and arbitrary arrests of civilians during the years of the Syrian revolution.

The command added that the detainee participated in military operations targeting civilians in Damascus Governorate and Eastern Ghouta, and also, according to preliminary investigations, supervised arbitrary arrest campaigns in Daraa Governorate.

According to information provided by the Internal Security Command, Saqr later assumed the position of Chief of Staff of the 14th Division and its Deputy Commander, then Commander of the Division until mid-2016, before moving to the Operations Authority in Damascus, where he continued his work until his discharge on May 1, 2017.

The Internal Security Command confirmed the continuation of legal procedures and investigations related to the accusations against him.