Damascus, Syria – Syrian authorities have arrested a former military doctor, Dr. Bassam Salman Ali, accused of turning Tishreen Military Hospital in Damascus into a “human slaughterhouse” during the reign of the ousted regime.
The Syrian Ministry of Interior’s General Security Department in Damascus announced on Wednesday that Ali, who was a serving officer at Tishreen during the regime’s rule, has been detained. The government agency’s statement, released by state news agency SANA, outlined the severe charges against Ali, who is implicated in numerous crimes against detainees.
According to SANA, Dr. Ali was directly involved in the torture and killing of prisoners brought to the hospital. He allegedly played a role in transforming the medical facility into a site of brutality where detainees were tortured and murdered under the guise of medical care. The doctor is also accused of trafficking human organs and extorting families of the victims, as well as administering lethal injections to some detainees, a violation of medical ethics and international human rights law.
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The Interior Ministry’s statement emphasized that investigations are ongoing, with the goal of uncovering additional atrocities linked to Dr. Ali’s role within the regime’s military apparatus. He will face trial once the investigation is complete.
This arrest follows another high-profile capture on Tuesday, when the General Security Directorate in the coastal city of Tartus apprehended former colonel Salim Iskander Tarraf. Tarraf had served in several prominent positions, including as commander of a Republican Guard division and as head of State Security in southern Syria, and was implicated in multiple war crimes.
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The authorities noted that Tarfah had also played a key role in facilitating Hezbollah’s involvement in Syrian military operations, particularly in the southern province of Daraa. He is linked to attacks on security forces in March, adding to the growing list of individuals from the former regime facing accountability for their roles in the country’s brutal conflict.
