Syria detains seven after man dies in custody beating

Syria has detained seven people after a man died on Sunday following a beating in police custody, the emergencies and disaster management ministry said. The victim, Mohammed Ghumeira, was in his late twenties and suffered from haemophilia, a disorder that prevents blood from clotting. The ministry said he died from brain and gastrointestinal haemorrhaging due to the beating at a police station in Latakia province.

A family source told AFP that Ghumeira had been accused of stealing a large sum of money, detained for three days, and then released for lack of evidence, but was badly tortured during custody. State television said the seven detained were present at the time of the incident. Interior Minister Anas Khattab vowed to deal firmly with any violations by personnel. Emergencies Minister Raed al-Saleh said the accused officers had been detained and legal action would follow, declaring that there would be no impunity.

The new Islamist authorities took power in December 2024 after ousting Bashar al-Assad. Rights groups report several deaths in custody since the transition. In January 2025, state media said a detainee died in Homs after violations by security personnel, who were arrested and referred to the judiciary.