Syrian authorities announced on Saturday the arrest of a former presidential aide accused of involvement in abuses committed during the Assad era.
The interior ministry wrote on X that security forces, in coordination with the Counterterrorism Directorate, arrested Major General Wajih Ali al-Abdullah in a “swift security operation.”
Al-Abdullah served for 13 years as director of military affairs at the presidential palace under ousted President Bashar al-Assad, according to the ministry.
It described Al-Abdullah as “one of the pillars of the former regime’s inner circle” and accused him of coordinating “repressive practices and grave violations” against Syrian civilians during his years in office.
Investigations showed al-Abdullah held the post between 2005 and 2018, a period the ministry described as the bloodiest phase in Syria’s recent history.
The arrest is part of a campaign targeting former Syrian military and security officials accused of involvement in violations committed during the Syrian revolution.
