Syria’s notorious Palestine Branch prison was where Karaf is said to have overseen the torture and death of hundreds of people [Getty]
Syria’s Internal Security arrested former Colonel Abdullah Nazem Karaf, who previously served as the head of the Investigation Department of the Palestine Branch (Branch 235) of the former regime of Bashar al-Assad’s military security.
Karaf was known for his involvement in severe human rights violations, including the deaths of hundreds of detainees under torture, including Palestinian refugees. He was found by security forces in the town of Jdeidat Artouz, located in the Damascus countryside.
Security sources confirmed to The New Arab’s Arabic sister outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the operation was carried out after close surveillance of Karaf’s movements, with no significant resistance or clashes. He is currently being interrogated as part of the legal procedures against him.
The Investigation Department of the Palestine Branch was one of the most notorious security branches in Syria during the reign of the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime.
Local and international human rights organisations have documented the deaths of hundreds of detainees due to acts of brutal torture committed within this branch since the beginning of the Syrian revolution in 2011. According to the evidence, Karaf personally oversaw interrogations and held commanding power over subordinates within his branch, making him directly responsible for crimes and abuses committed there.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported the death of Fawzi Layla, the leader of the Arab National Guard, a militant group affiliated with the fallen Assad regime, during a security operation in the Tishreen neighbourhood of the Qaboun district in Damascus.
The Syrian Interior Ministry also stated that the operation resulted in the capture of members of an armed group that Layla was part of, along with the seizure of weapons used in an attack on a ministry patrol on Monday evening. Investigations with the suspects are currently underway to complete the legal proceedings against them.
The head of Damascus security, Lieutenant Colonel Abdulrahman Al-Dabbagh, previously announced that a security patrol was ambushed in the Tishreen neighbourhood of Qaboun.
According to Al-Dabbagh, the attack resulted in the death of one officer and injuries to two others. Reinforcements were immediately dispatched to support the patrol and counter the threat, leading to clashes with the armed group, which was later identified as remnants of the former regime’s forces.
The arrested individuals will be referred to the judiciary to face justice.
