What is the truth behind the death of the Damascus café owner allegedly assaulted by the new Syrian administration?

The Claim

Verify-Sy conducted an investigation to verify the accuracy of the claims suggesting "the death of a Christian civilian from a heart attack after being assaulted by members of the new Syrian administration because of owning a cafe, which they considered prohibited." It was found that the claim is misleading.

Refute the claim

Verify-Sy reached out to the deceased's nephew, Dr. François Darani, a resident of Germany, to clarify the circumstances of his uncle's death. Darani explained that his uncle had visited the French Hospital (St. Louis Hospital) after suffering a health setback a day before his passing. The next day, a neighbor filed a complaint against Al-Dobie, prompting security forces to visit his café late at night. Darani confirmed that his uncle was not assaulted or threatened but suffered a heart attack and was later transferred to Al-Mujtahed Hospital, where he passed away.

Darani also mentioned that the person who filed the complaint had a history of making similar false claims even before the ousting of the Assad regime late last year. He stated that Al-Dobie’s family had contacted local authorities to address the matter with the security forces who arrived late, emphasizing that the complaint did not require urgency and calling for an investigation into the repeated false complaints from the same individual.

In the same context, Verify-Sy contacted Dr. Marwa Al-Amar, an emergency medicine specialist and a member of the chief doctors at Al-Mujtahed Hospital, where Al-Dobie was transferred. Dr. Al-Amar confirmed that Al-Dobie arrived at the hospital without a pulse, and all attempts at resuscitation were unsuccessful. She emphasized that there were no signs of assault or injury on his body and clarified that the exact cause of death could not be determined by her, as it falls under the jurisdiction of forensic medicine.

conclusion