Syria announces arrest of key Assad-era officer in notorious Tadamon massacre of 2013

Syrian authorities said Friday they have arrested the main suspect in the Tadamon massacre, in a security operation carried out in the countryside of Hama.

In a statement, the Interior Ministry said internal security forces captured Amjad Youssef, identified as the primary perpetrator behind the mass killings in the Tadamon neighborhood of Damascus.

The Tadamon case drew international attention after video footage surfaced documenting the killings during the Syrian war.

On April 27, 2022, The Guardian published footage it said had been leaked by a conscript in a pro-government militia, showing members of Military Intelligence Branch 227 executing at least 41 people and burning their bodies.

The video showed an intelligence officer, identified as Youssef, shooting blindfolded and bound detainees.

The massacre took place on April 16, 2013, when at least 41 people were killed near the Othman Mosque in the Tadamon neighborhood and their bodies thrown into a pit in an empty street, in what became one of the most widely documented atrocities of the conflict.

The current Syrian administration has repeatedly announced arrests of individuals accused of committing abuses against civilians during the 2011-2024 conflict, as part of efforts to pursue accountability.

Former President Bashar al-Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia, bringing an end to the Baath Party’s decades-long rule that began in 1963. A transitional administration led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa was formed in January 2025.

Syria's Ambassador to the UN told reporters that the arrest represents a "major achievement."

"The top perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity have fled the country, and no country should be a safe haven. We call upon the international community to shoulder its responsibility in supporting serious transitional justice processes," said Ibrahim Olabi.

Syria looks forward to expanding work with states and relevant multilateral actors through information sharing, intelligence cooperation and the activation of judicial cooperation mechanisms, he said.

Addressing the perpetrators, the ambassador said Syria's message is "very clear."

"You may run, but you will never escape justice. Syria will pursue you at home and abroad, and we will work together with states, international institutions and judicial mechanisms to find you, arrest you and bring you before the courts of law," he added.

*Diyar Guldogan from Washington contributed to this report