Khaberni - The Syrian Ministry of Interior announced on Monday the arrest of the leader of what was known as the "National Defense Forces" militia in Aleppo province during the rule of the previous regime.
The head of internal security in Aleppo province, Colonel Mohamed Abdel Ghani, stated in a statement, "Based on accurate information, our security units, in cooperation with the general intelligence agency in the province, succeeded in arresting the individual known as Sami Aubrey, who was the leader of what was known as the "National Defense Forces" militia in Aleppo province during the rule of the previous regime."
Colonel Mohamed Abdel Ghani added that Sami Aubrey was proven to be involved in committing war crimes and severe violations that affected civilians in the province.
He reported that initial investigations showed his involvement in suppressing peaceful demonstrations at the beginning of the Syrian revolution, in addition to his participation in founding the militia in 2012 and leading it until 2017.
According to the statement, "During that period, Aubrey oversaw a wide range of violations, including setting up checkpoints, arresting civilians, and handing them over to the security agencies of the former regime, in addition to documented reports regarding his involvement in looting properties of people forcibly displaced from Aleppo city in 2016."
According to the same statement, "Aubrey was appointed as the Public Relations Officer of the same militia in late 2017, and continued to coordinate with sectarian formations linked to the former regime, before fleeing to Lebanon after the liberation of Aleppo city."
The Syrian official indicated that the suspect was arrested after meticulous tracking and monitoring of his movements immediately upon entering the country clandestinely.
Abdel Ghani confirmed that the competent authorities are continuing to complete the necessary legal procedures in preparation for referring the file to the competent judiciary to ensure his prosecution in accordance with the law.
