Syrian authorities have arrested Amjad Youssef, the main suspect in the 2013 Tadamon massacre in Damascus, in which at least 41 people were killed, the interior ministry announced.

Youssef was captured following a “tightly executed security operation” in the Al-Ghab Plain in Hama province after days of surveillance and tracking. Social media footage showed him handcuffed and with blood on his face, surrounded by security forces.

A former intelligence officer under the regime of Bashar al-Assad, Youssef was responsible for security operations in southern Damascus during the Syrian uprising. He has been accused of numerous crimes against civilians.

In 2022, a leaked video appeared to show Youssef shooting blindfolded and bound civilians. The footage, recorded by a military recruit, was dated April 16, 2013, the day of the massacre. Its release sparked outrage, with families recognizing relatives.

After the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, Youssef went into hiding. In August 2023, German police arrested his friend Ahmed al-Harmouni, also accused of involvement in the massacre, following a three-year investigation.

Syria’s new government has launched a campaign to pursue former regime figures, while citizens raised funds for rewards leading to arrests. Several suspects have since been detained and confessed to the killings.

Human Rights Watch visited Tadamon in December 2024, finding human remains consistent with execution, and urged transitional authorities to preserve evidence of war crimes.

Source: www.aljazeera.com