There were thousands of them serving a tyrannical regime. Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, the new authorities in Syria have been tracking down those loyal to the fallen dictator. One of them, General Mohammed Kanjo Hassan, involved in the death sentences at Saydnaya prison, was arrested Thursday, December 26 near Tartous, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH) . The arrest of “one of the criminals of the Assad regime (…) represents an important step towards achieving justice.”welcomed the Syrian Opposition Coalition, which brings together the main political groups in exile, on
On the other hand, according to experts, most of the high-ranking officers and those close to the dictator are no longer in Syria. Conversely, ordinary soldiers and civil servants of the regime can benefit from the amnesty promised by the transitional government. Between those pardoned, arrested and on the run, this is what happens to the people who worked for the overthrown Syrian regime.
Senior officers close to Bashar al-Assad on the run
“We will pursue war criminals and claim them from the countries to which they fled so that they receive their just punishment”promised the leader of the ruling coalition, Ahmed al-Charaa, also known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Joulani, according to a press release published on Telegram on December 10.
Car “it’s obvious” that the regime’s senior officers and lieutenants “all fled”estimated the director of the Commission for International Justice and Accountability (Cija), William Wiley, to the British television channel Sky News. Bashar al-Assad first. The day the regime fell, the Syrian dictator and his family left for Russia, via the Russian military base Hmeimim, located in northern Syria, he said in a press release.
“There are some in Moscow, in Iran, in Iraq, in Lebanon…”
William Wiley, director of Cijaon Sky News
“There are a good part of the former Syrian leadership in Iraq”confirms Adel Bakawan, researcher at the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri). “They can find refuge there without being worried”in view of the good relations between the Assad regime and Baghdad. According to the New York TimesMaher al-Assad, the brother of the deposed Syrian dictator, fled through the Iraqi desert. The country's Interior Ministry nevertheless denied, on Monday, its presence in Iraq, as well as that of Ali Mamlouk, the former head of the Syrian security and intelligence services. Both are subject to an international arrest warrant issued by France, notably for complicity in crimes against humanity.
Maher al-Assad's wife and their son transited through Beirut to reach Dubai, confirmed the outgoing Lebanese Interior Minister, Bassam Mawlawi. Bashar al-Assad's main political advisor, Bouthaïna Chaabane, also passed through Beirut, according to the minister.
Other members of the regime may be there. “If there are Syrian soldiers who entered Lebanon and are not wanted, they can come through legal channels and stay in Lebanon”specified Bassam Mawlawi. And for the Syrian officials who would be on the list of international justice? “There is Hezbollah”an Islamist movement allied with Bashar al-Assad, on which they can count, underlines Adel Bakawan.
Pro-Assad fighters continue to confront HTS
In certain historic strongholds of the Alawite minority, from which Bashar al-Assad comes, armed fighters from the old regime continue to fight. On December 15, officers incited civilians to violence under the pretext of “defend the Alawites”reports the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH) on X.
Pro-Assad fighters have notably retreated to Latakia, in southern Syria, where there are “towns and villages in which they can find refuge”observes Adel Bakawan. Cédric Labrousse, doctoral student specializing in northeastern Syria, speaks of “real mountain scrub, small villages and long winding roads” on X.
The Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), at the head of the coalition which brought down the regime, is increasing operations in Tartous to neutralize the resistance. On Wednesday, an arrest turned into a tragedy, leaving 17 dead, during clashes between general security forces and men affiliated with an official of the former power, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The fight between pro-Assad fighters and security forces left four people dead in Homs. On the border between Syria and Lebanon, around Tell Kalakh and al Quba, fighting was still underway on Friday. As for the capital Damascus, the predominantly Alawite district Mazzeh 86where some residents served in Bashar al-Assad's security forces, is blocked by HTS, according to the BBC.
Despite the clashes, the new authorities are trying to reassure the different communities in Syria. “HTS, through its military presence, does everything not to be provocative”underlines Adel Bakawan. Despite these words which are intended to be soothing, analyst Sam Heller from the Century Foundation, a progressive American think tank, reported to AFP a “feeling of vulnerability” which is rising among minorities.
A senior regime dignitary arrested
General Mohammed Kanjo Hassan was captured Thursday near Tartous, along with 20 members of his bodyguard, reports OSDH, cited by AFP. The head of military justice of the Assad regime has sentenced to death “thousands of people during speedy trials”declared to the press agency Diab Seria, co-founder of the Association of detainees and the missing from Saydnaya prison, a place that has become the symbol of the violence of the dictatorship. This high-ranking officer locked up minors there until they reached the age of majority, before imposing hanging on them, specifies France Inter.
Pour Adel Bakawan, officials arrested and implicated in serious crimes, such as “the use of chemical weapons or torture”will probably be “tried in public trials”. For others, without direct proof, “it is very likely that they will be released as part of what is called transitional justice”underlines the researcher.
Amnesty granted to soldiers and civil servants
Ordinary soldiers are not targeted by HTS. “We granted amnesty to those who were in compulsory service”said Ahmed al-Sharaa. Called to hand over their weapons and military papers to the new authorities, they presented themselves by the hundreds in recent days in Damascus to be registered, according to the Associated Press.
The authorities check that they are not lying about their situation. “We have lists with the names of wanted people, including more than 50 high-ranking officers. We identified them on the basis of videos and testimonies”explained an HTS fighter, stationed in Tartous, at Monde. This promise of amnesty has in any case brought back nearly 2,000 soldiers who had fled to Iraq during the fall of the regime, reports Reuters.
“Many people surrendered in order to have certain guarantees to stay in the country and not live in panic.”
Adel Bakawan, researcher at Ifriat franceinfo
Diplomats, civil servants, and “all those who were not involved in crimes against the Syrian people received amnesty”explains Adel Bakawan just like “the members of the Bass party”. The party in power has since announced its suspension.
Former Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali also benefited from the amnesty. “When the new authorities arrived in Damascus, the first person they met was him. He was kept in his post until a new government was formed.”recalls Adel Bakawan. Mohammed al-Jalali immediately said he was ready to support the new “leadership”.
