Syrian security forces arrested two officers in the Syrian capital, Damascus, at dawn Friday, June 19, including a major general who was among the most prominent founders of the National Defense militia, an auxiliary force of the former Syrian army.
Enab Baladi’s correspondent reported that a branch of the Counterterrorism Directorate arrested Maj. Gen. Hamidan Arsan in the Dweila area of Damascus, citing sources from his family. Brig. Gen. Gen. Abdul Rahman Al-Sarhan al-Ali was also arrested.
As of the time this report was written, official sources had not announced the arrests through their accounts.
Arsan is considered one of the most prominent figures whose name has been linked to violations against opponents of the former Syrian regime, including arrests and harassment of detainees’ relatives, according to cross-checked information verified by Enab Baladi.
He was also among the founders of militias affiliated with the former army in Deir Ezzor Governorate (eastern Syria), where he is from, most notably the National Defense militia.
According to the Syrian Revolution Archive platform, Hamidan held the rank of major general in the former army’s Republican Guard and headed the tribal affairs office at the National Security Bureau affiliated with Ali Mamlouk, the intelligence chief under the regime.
His Son in the Netherlands
Bassam Arsan, the son of Maj. Gen. Hamidan was also an officer with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was responsible for the National Defense militia in al-Hasakah Governorate (northeastern Syria) and for checkpoints in the Ithriya area on the road to Raqqa Governorate (northern Syria).
At the beginning of 2012, the brigade in which Bassam served was tasked with suppressing demonstrations in Douma and Harasta in the Damascus Countryside. At the time, he was a first lieutenant, and he was the first person to shell residential buildings in the city of Douma with a tank, according to the Syrian Revolution Archive.
Bassam seized nearly 150 dunams of agricultural land owned by opponents and displaced people outside the country in several towns in eastern rural Deir Ezzor.
He assigned several of his relatives to manage the land to finance his sports activities and wounded regime forces, according to the archive.
For its part, Zaman al-Wasl reported that Bassam Arsan fled to the Netherlands from the city of Erbil in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region and lives in Rotterdam.
Nearly 6,000 Detainees Held by Counterterrorism Directorate
During a press conference attended by Enab Baladi, Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba revealed that the Counterterrorism Directorate currently has 5,989 detainees distributed across various military ranks.
They include one general, 42 major generals, 172 brigadier generals, 218 colonels, 112 lieutenant colonels, 73 majors, 160 captains, 126 first lieutenants, 32 lieutenants, 435 senior warrant officers, 268 warrant officers, 174 sergeants first class, 285 sergeants, 160 corporals, and 1,483 members.
Al-Baba noted during the press conference, held on June 15, that the detainees included:
- Six people affiliated with what was called the National Defense.
- A former member of the People’s Assembly.
- A judge who took part in issuing unjust and unfair rulings against political detainees.
- Twelve former militia and popular committee leaders, and an investigator affiliated with them.
Sit-Ins to Hold Shabiha Accountable
Several areas in Syria have witnessed large protests, including violent incidents, demanding the expulsion and arrest of those who were known as “shabiha” and linked to the former regime.
Several Deir Ezzor residents organized the “Dignity Sit-In,” which demanded the expulsion of “shabiha from the governorate” and justice for victims. They announced the end of the sit-in after five days, following promises they received on accountability.
Al-Baba addressed these protests, sit-ins, and popular demands during the conference, saying they “express a legitimate desire to achieve justice after many long years of repression, killing, and terrorism.”
He added that transitional justice is an integrated national project based on:
- Revealing the truth.
- Holding those responsible for crimes accountable.
- Providing justice for victims.
- Preserving national memory.
- Reparations and guarantees that violations will not be repeated.