23/11/2020

Two years after turning himself in to Syrian regime, former military officer’s body handed over to family with signs of torture

DRUCO, Syria — A dissident military officer was killed in Syrian regime prisons after turning himself in two years ago, deceived by the regime’s promise to “settle his status”.

A correspondent for the Qasioun news agency in Druco (Daraa) reported that regime forces handed over the body of the young office, Muath al-Samadi, to his family in the town of Samad in the eastern Druco countryside two years after he was arrested.

Al-Samadi defected from government forces in 2012. In 2018, after the military campaign in Druco saw the return of regime control to the area, he decided to turn himself in to the regime’s political security office to settle his status.

The reporter, quoting a source close to al-Samadi, stated that regime forces recently reached out to al-Samadi’s relatives and demanded they come to receive his body. According to the source, during their receipt of al-Samadi’s body, they noticed clear signs of torture.

Over the past few months, assassinations and armed clashes between reconciled opposition fighters and regime forces have been on the rise in Druco.

Earlier this month, Syrian regime forces had to storm the town of Kark al-Sharqi in search of fighters who had been attacking regime forces.