Syria detains ex-Major General Ali Saleh Diab over alleged abuses in Hasakah

The Internal Security Forces carried out a targeted operation on Friday that resulted in the arrest of former Major General Ali Saleh Diab in Hasakah. The Ministry of Interior, via its official Telegram channel, said Diab led the Military Security Branch in Qamishli from 2008 to 2018 and was a senior figure within the former regime’s security apparatus. He is accused of involvement in systematic violations and crimes and was reportedly a close associate of top security chiefs from that period.

Developments and context

According to the ministry, inquiries link Diab to the tracking and detention of large numbers of young men in Hasakah and Qamishli who were later handed over to the Palestine Branch and to Sednaya Prison. Authorities framed the arrest as part of broader efforts to hold former regime officials accountable, apply the principle of non‑impunity, and pursue transitional justice to safeguard victims’ rights, as reported by SANA