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Sarmada... After Controversy, Security Denies Suffocation of Suspect During His Arrest
The city of Sarmada in northern Idlib witnessed a tragic incident that generated widespread reactions. Security officers attempted to arrest a person in the area without knowing the charges against him or issuing an arrest warrant. During the arrest, security personnel strangled the man and left him on the ground without providing any first aid or calling an ambulance, leading to his tragic fall.
Meanwhile, the security officers fled after arresting his brother. A heartbreaking moment was captured in video footage, showing the man's son rushing toward his father after he collapsed on the ground in an attempt to save him. His fate remains unknown, and the reasons behind the assault and violence inflicted on this individual have not been clarified.
Conversely, the Internal Security Agency in Idlib governorate, northern Syria, denied that the suspect was suffocated during the arrest operation, following circulated recordings shared by activists showing the attempted detention.
Hussein Abdul Hakim Al-Hussein, director of the Internal Security Directorate in the northern Idlib region, stated that the suspect, Muhammad Sulaim, pretended to faint during the arrest, "in an attempt to gather people and create chaos."
He explained that the security agency received a report indicating that Muhammad Sulaim was harmed by his brother, Mustafa Sulaim, through cutting internet and electricity cables from his shop.
Syrians are often subjected to abuses by security agencies across Syria, including beatings, frequently attributed to inadequate or poorly trained personnel.
