Another "Humanitarian" Story from Syrian Prisons Hides an Assad Agent Responsible for Killing Syrians

This investigation was translated using artificial intelligence,the original language is Arabic

A man in his thirties appeared in an interview published by the Syrian journalist Yaqin Baido (also known as Mirna Al-Hassan), through the platforms "YouTube," "X," and "Facebook," under the title "Dead Returned to Life" from inside "Branch Palestine," one of the worst security branches that was affiliated with the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime. The man claimed to be a former detainee but did not specify the time period he spent in prison or his duration of detention.

Archived version of the interview

When asked why he returned to the detention center, which he claimed he had wished to die in repeatedly, the man tried hard to show great emotional distress caused by the brutality of the now-destroyed jailers.

Despite these moments being ones no one would wish to remember, the alleged detainee provided a detailed explanation of how prisoners were pulled from the basement to the upper floors on their way to interrogation, and how the torture, or "stomping," as he described it, began as soon as the detainee’s name was called in the cell. These are details that not everyone who lived through the experience can remember or describe accurately.

An Informant Responsible for Arrests and Killings

The Verify-sy team investigated the identity of the person in the report and discovered that he is named Anas Majdhoub, from the Midan neighborhood in southern Damascus. He had been working as an informant for the ousted Assad regime since 2012, according to testimonies from local residents who were contacted by the team.

According to the residents, Majdhoub, known for his proximity to Branch Palestine, where he appeared in the interview, did not only write security reports but also exploited his influence to extort people, forcing them to either pay money or face fabricated charges that he would report to the security branches he had close ties with.

Majdhoub contributed to the arrest of dozens of people from the neighborhood, some of whom were killed under torture, while others managed to survive by paying bribes. Some were recently released during the fall of the regime and the release of detainees, according to testimonies documented by the Verify-sy team from activists and former detainees due to Majdhoub's reports, with their identities withheld to protect their safety.

Y.Y., a former detainee who requested not to be named, confirmed that an officer at Branch Palestine introduced him to Majdhoub and told him that the latter had provided information about his participation in protests in exchange for a financial bribe. In the same meeting, the officer informed Majdhoub that the charges against Y.Y. had not been proven and that he would be released.

Activist Omar Al-Midani mentioned the names Mazen Khabbaz and Moamen Qaysar as victims who were martyred under torture due to Majdhoub's reports, which was also confirmed by another witness. However, the Verify-sy team was unable to find official death certificates for them in open sources.

Why Did He Return to Branch Palestine?

The Verify-sy team noticed during their analysis of the interview that there was black discoloration on Majdhoub's hands, raising suspicions about whether he was at the branch to burn or search through damaged documents.

How Did the Journalist Meet Him?

The Verify-sy team contacted journalist Yaqin Baido, who conducted the interview with Majdhoub, and asked her how she came to meet this person. She explained that he was among a group of civilians present at Branch Palestine, which she visited with several media personnel and journalists for filming and coverage purposes.

She added that Majdhoub told her that he had visited the branch earlier before his arrest to inquire about a woman imprisoned there, without clarifying his relationship to her. He also stated that he was later summoned for questioning, which led to his arrest, without specifying the duration of his detention.

Yaqin confirmed what the Verify-sy team noticed, that Majdhoub had black stains on his hands, adding that he inspected most of the cells during her time at the site.

Al-Majzoub's Brother Responds to the Investigation

Following the publication of the investigation, we received a message via our website from Ibrahim Al-Majzoub, the brother of Anas Al-Majzoub, requesting to be contacted to provide additional information. In a recorded call with the investigation's author, Ibrahim confirmed his brother’s involvement in reporting opposition activists to the intelligence services of the deposed Bashar al-Assad regime, as well as extorting residents of the neighborhood. However, he denied his brother's involvement in reporting the two individuals mentioned in our investigation.

Ibrahim also stated that a force affiliated with the General Command had arrested his brother three days ago at his home but later released him the same day due to a lack of evidence against him and internal endorsements within the entity, according to his account. In adherence to journalistic principles, we publish this response as received.

Clarification from Verify-sy

Later, the witness whose testimony was cited in the investigation contacted us to report the release of Al-Majzoub. He also requested the removal of the audio recordings attached to the investigation, fearing that they might lead to his identification and pose a threat to him or his family, given the ongoing chaos and lack of security stability since the fall of the Assad regime.

In response to these concerns, Verify-sy removed the audio recordings from the investigation while retaining all available evidence for submission to any future court aimed at achieving justice and holding those responsible for Syrian rights violations accountable.

Verify-sy emphasizes that its role is limited to fact-checking and combating misinformation, while judicial proceedings remain the responsibility of the victims and rightful claimants.