The death of Mohammad Ghamira, a 29-year-old father of two who had hemophilia, has ignited protests in Syria and revived memories of torture and abuse within the country's detention centers. Ghamira died Sunday in a Latakia hospital days after being arrested on an allegation of theft, according to local authorities. His condition, which affects blood clotting, combined with alleged beatings after his detention, led to complications including cerebral and gastrointestinal hemorrhaging.
Syria's Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, Raed al-Saleh, who previously led the White Helmets civil defense organization where Ghamira volunteered, stated on social media that the detainee's death resulted from beatings sustained after his arrest at the al-Haffah police station. Ghamira's uncle corroborated these claims, stating the family had informed police of his nephew's hemophilia and warned against physical abuse.
In response to the public outcry, Syria's interior ministry announced an investigation into Ghamira's death and has detained seven personnel from the ministry for questioning. The ministry's spokesperson acknowledged "shortcomings and deficiencies" in some police departments, expressing hope that the incident would catalyze positive changes within the ministry's operations.
Human rights organizations have highlighted that Ghamira's case may not be isolated. A March report by the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic documented instances of torture and ill-treatment in 18 official and 12 makeshift detention facilities between January and October 2025. These documented abuses included beatings, electric shocks, mock executions, and sexual violence.
Syrians for Truth and Justice, another human rights group, reported earlier this month that severe beatings, electric shocks, humiliation, and deaths in custody remain common practices by various security and military actors. While the group found no evidence of a centralized torture system comparable to that under the former Assad regime, they emphasized that authorities still bear responsibility for curbing such behavior. Groups representing families of detainees expressed distress over the apparent recurrence of these practices, which Syrians have long fought to end.