Syria’s Counterterrorism Directorate has arrested Major General Qais Hassan al-Abd al-Rajab, the former deputy director of the General Intelligence Directorate (State Security) under the government of Bashar al-Assad, state news agency SANA reported.
According to a statement posted Friday by the Interior Ministry on Telegram, al-Abd al-Rajab is considered “one of the most prominent officials involved in committing serious violations” against residents of the Hajar al-Aswad district, the cities of Daraya and Moadamiyat al-Sham, and a number of towns and villages in Daraa province.
The ministry said the arrest followed “continuous security monitoring” of his movements and efforts to evade detection and legal prosecution.
Interior Minister Anas Khattab said the Counterterrorism Directorate, working in coordination with provincial internal security authorities, would continue pursuing suspects and bringing them before the courts.
The effort involves search, surveillance and investigative operations aimed at gathering information, he said, “in fulfillment of a promise we made to our patient people that there will be no leniency toward those whose hands are stained with blood.”
SANA said the arrest forms part of broader efforts by the Interior Ministry and other authorities to pursue and hold accountable those implicated in crimes and violations against Syrians, in line with the principles of ending impunity, advancing transitional justice and protecting the rights of victims’ families.
In a related development, 18 Syrian organizations and associations representing victims of abuses said in a position paper issued Thursday that the collapse of the Assad regime presents “a historic opportunity” to dismantle the legacy of torture and grave violations and to lay the foundations for justice and accountability.
The statement marked the third anniversary of the Dutch-Canadian case against Syria before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The organizations, including the Sednaya Prison Detainees Association, the Syrian Center for Justice and Accountability, and Huquqyat, praised the governments of the Netherlands and Canada for bringing the case before the court.
They said the lawsuit filed in 2023, along with the provisional measures ordered by the ICJ, represented “an important milestone” in efforts to secure justice for Syrian victims.
The groups also welcomed a June 2025 declaration by the Syrian government committing to address the legacy of torture and abuses, saying the current period offers a genuine opportunity to launch meaningful reforms. These include closing secret detention facilities, dismantling structures linked to torture and strengthening cooperation with international judicial and human rights mechanisms.
The organizations called for a comprehensive approach based on holding all perpetrators accountable without exception, arguing that such a process is essential to safeguarding victims’ rights and restoring confidence in justice institutions.
They concluded that the ICJ proceedings remain a key pillar in building a new Syria based on the rule of law, preventing future abuses and protecting human dignity.
