Syrians have protested after Mohammad Ghamira, a 29-year-old father of two and former White Helmets volunteer, died following an alleged beating in police custody in Latakia province. Ghamira had visited a police station last week after an accusation of theft and later emerged in critical condition. He died in hospital on Sunday from complications linked to cerebral and gastrointestinal haemorrhaging, according to Raed al-Saleh, Syria’s minister of emergency and disaster management.
The interior ministry has formed an investigative committee and detained seven ministry members for questioning. Interior Minister Anas Khattab has promised a “fair punishment” if the investigation finds wrongdoing, while protests in Aleppo and planned demonstrations in Damascus have demanded accountability.
What is known about Ghamira’s death
Ghamira’s parents told the police station chief before his detention that he had haemophilia, a condition that makes it difficult to stop bleeding, and asked that he not be beaten. His uncle, Issam Ghamira, told Syrian state media that he was beaten despite the warning.
Images showing Ghamira healthy before his detention and later unconscious in a hospital bed with bruises spread widely online, prompting anger across Syria. The account of the alleged beating and the cause of death are central issues for the ministry’s investigation.
How the protests unfolded
A crowd gathered in Aleppo demanding accountability for the security forces alleged to have carried out the abuse. Protesters held signs and used slogans including: “Do not repeat the same oppression that we revolted against.” Demonstrations were also planned outside Syria’s parliament in Damascus on Tuesday.
Interior ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba said the investigative committee had met Ghamira’s family on Tuesday and briefed them on the investigation’s progress. Khattab said violations or abuse by interior ministry personnel would be handled under applicable laws and procedures.
Why the case has wider significance
The allegations have revived fears that torture and detention abuse continue despite the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government. Assad’s regime used mass detention and torture systematically, particularly after protests began in 2011. The government that replaced it, made up mostly of former members of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, overthrew Assad in December 2024 and promised to dismantle the security structures associated with his rule.
Syrians for Truth and Justice documented 14 cases of people allegedly tortured or dying in custody between June 2025 and June 2026. The group said the continuing problem appeared linked to weak oversight and accountability for militias and security personnel, rather than evidence in its account of a centralised torture policy like that under Assad. It documented allegations including severe beatings, electric shocks, humiliation, threats and deprivation of basic necessities.
A UN independent commission of inquiry reported in March that it had documented torture and abuse in 30 official and makeshift detention facilities across Syria during 2025. Civil society groups have said justice for Ghamira should extend to people who were forcibly disappeared or remain subject to torture in detention.
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