The Syrian Ministry of Interior announced, on Wednesday, the arrest of Tayseer Othman Mahfouz, a former official in charge of the Department of Studies in the 215 Secretary of the Military Intelligence Division, on charges related to the arrest and torture of civilians and the commission of robbery and power.
Who is Tayseer Othman Mahfouz?
Tayseer Othman Mahfouz is a former officer in the Syrian Military Intelligence Service, who served as an official of studies in the 215 Secretary, also known as “the secrecy and storming”. It was believed that Mahfouz was among the prominent figures who played a pivotal role in managing detention and investigation into the branch.
Secretary 215: “Syrian Holocaust”
The 215 secrecy is one of the most reputable Syrian security branches. According to the report of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, entitled “Syrian Holocaust”, the branch was the scene of the worst methods of systematic torture, which led to the death of at least five detainees per day due to torture. The branch was located in the Kafr Sousse neighborhood of Damascus, and it contained at least 7500 detainees, who were subjected to multiple forms of torture, including severe beating, electric shock, and long -term suspension. The report also indicated that the branch was one of the least security branches that the detainees survive.
Detention and charges
According to the Syrian Ministry of Interior, Tayseer Othman Mahfouz was arrested on charges related to the arrest and torture of civilians and the commission of robbery and power. The director of the Damascus Security Directorate, Lt. Col. Abdul Rahman Al -Dabbagh, said: “We received accurate intelligence information that the criminal Tayseer Mahfouz was found in the city of Tartous and in cooperation with the Tartous Security Directorate, we were able to implement a tight ambush that resulted in his arrest.”
Celebrations of detention
After the arrest of Mahfouz, the people of Al -Mazzeh neighborhood in Damascus went out in demonstrations in an expression of their joy by arresting him, considering this a step towards justice. On the other hand, human rights organizations demanded a fair and transparent trial of Mahfouz, and to ensure that he is not imposed.
The journalist Jamil Al -Hassan, who is close to the new Syrian authorities, revealed that the company was 215, which was the detainee who “came out of some of Caesar from him”, referring to the indications of brutal torture that led to the issuance of the American Caesar Law.
