Syria has confirmed the detention of seven individuals in connection with the death of a man suffering from a medical condition that can cause uncontrolled bleeding. The man died on Sunday after reportedly being beaten while in police custody. In response to this incident, two government ministers have expressed their commitment to ensuring accountability for those involved.
The emergencies and disaster management ministry said Mohammed Ghumeira died “due to complications from brain and gastrointestinal haemorrhaging due to him being beaten after he was detained” at a police station in Latakia province. It identified Ghumeira, who was in his late twenties, as one of its personnel, and said he was married with two children and suffered from haemophilia, a disorder in which blood does not clot properly to stop bleeding. State television said that security forces in Latakia had “detained seven people for investigation who were present” at the time of the incident. “Today the police station personnel accused of beating the late Mohammed have been detained, and legal measures will be taken against them,” he said. A number of people have died in custody since the new authorities took power, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. In January 2025, state media said that a detainee had died in central Syria’s Homs after “violations” by security personnel, who were arrested and referred to the judiciary.
A source from Ghumeira’s family told AFP on condition of anonymity that “he was accused of stealing a large sum of money and was detained for three days before being released due to insufficient evidence. But he had been badly tortured, which led to a deterioration in his health and then to his death”.
