DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The death of a young man with a serious medical condition who was arrested and allegedly beaten by Syrian security forces has stirred up dark memories of torture and other abuse in detention centers under the Assad dynasty’s decades-long rule.
Syrians have taken to social media and the streets in recent days to demand answers about the death of Mohammad Ghamira, who was buried Monday in his hometown of al-Haffah in coastal Latakia province.
kAm(96? :?DFC86?ED F?D62E65 7@C>6C !C6D:56?E q2D92C pDD25 😕 s646>36C a_ac 27E6C 2 ?62C=J `c\J62C 4:G:= H2C[ E96J @A6?65 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^DJC:2\AC:D@?\D2J5?2J2\2DD25\_hg77dg33e5d45b4bcb7`e5766_c2445Qm4@F?ECJVD ?@E@C:@FD AC:D@?Dk^2m] sFC:?8 pDD25VD CF=6[ C:89ED 8C@FAD D2J[ E9@FD2?5D @7 AC:D@?6CD H6C6 <:==65 😕 >2DD 6I64FE:@?D @C 5:65 7C@> :?;FC:6D 2?5 5:D62D6] s6E2:?66D H6C6 DF3;64E65 E@ E@CEFC6[ 362E:?8D 2?5 C2A6]k^Am
kAm~77:4:2=D H:E9 E96 8@G6C?>6?E @7 :?E6C:> !C6D:56?E p9>25 2=\$92C22 92G6 AC@>:D65 244@F?E23:=:EJ 😕 v92>:C2’D 42D6[ 3FE C:89ED 8C@FAD D2J :E 😀 ?@E 2? :D@=2E65 :?4:56?E 2?5 E92E 23FD6D A6CD:DE 😕 56E6?E:@? 46?E6CD]k^Am
k9am%96 56E2:?66 925 96>@A9:=:2[ H9:49 27764ED 3=@@5 4=@EE:?8k^9am
kAmv92>:C2[ 2 ah\J62C\@=5 72E96C @7 EH@[ H2D 2 7@C>6C G@=F?E66C H:E9 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^_327_3_eh436c3dc37de_dg`b37g6gh7Qm(9:E6 w6=>6EDk^2m 4:G:= 5676?D6 @C82?:K2E:@?[ H9:49 @A6C2E65 😕 @AA@D:E:@?\96=5 2C62D 367@C6 pDD25VD 72==]k^Am
kAmw6 5:65 😕 2 9@DA:E2= 😕 {2E2<:2 @? $F?52J 27E6C 36:?8 C6=62D65 7C@> ;2:=] w6 925 366? 56E2:?65 52JD 62C=:6C 7@==@H:?8 2? Q2==682E:@? @7 E967E :?G@=G:?8 2 DF> @7 >@?6J[” {2E2<:2’D :?E6C?2= D64FC:EJ 4@>>2?5 D2:5 😕 2 DE2E6>6?E[ H:E9@FE 8:G:?8 >@C6 56E2:=D]k^Am
kAm$JC:2’D |:?:DE6C @7 t>6C86?4J 2?5 s:D2DE6C |2?286>6?E #265 2=\$2=69[ H9@ H2D AC6G:@FD=J 9625 @7 E96 (9:E6 w6=>6ED[ D2:5 @? ) E92E v92>:C2 925 5:65 @7 “4@>A=:42E:@?D 7C@> 46C63C2= 2?5 82DEC@:?E6DE:?2= 96>@CC928:?8” E92E “C6DF=E65 7C@> 2 362E:?8 96 DFDE2:?65 27E6C 36:?8 56E2:?65 2E E96 2=\w27729 A@=:46 DE2E:@?]”k^Am
kAmp=\$2=69 2?5 v92>:C2’D C6=2E:G6D D2:5 96 925 96>@A9:=:2[ 2 4@?5:E:@? 27764E:?8 E96 3=@@5’D 23:=:EJ E@ 4=@E]k^Am
kAmv92>:C2’D F?4=6[ xDD2> v92>:C2[ D2:5 😕 2 G:56@ :?E6CG:6H H:E9 DE2E6 ?6HD 286?4J $p}p E92E E96 72>:=J 925 E@=5 E96 A@=:46 49:67 😕 2=\w27729 E92E 9:D ?6A96H 925 96>@A9:=:2 2?5 H2C?65 282:?DE 9:EE:?8 9:>] s6DA:E6 E92E[ 96 D2:5[ 9:D ?6A96H H2D 9:E H9:=6 😕 4FDE@5J]k^Am
kAm$JC:2’D :?E6C:@C >:?:DECJ 2??@F?465 2? :?G6DE:82E:@? :?E@ v92>:C2’D 562E9 2?5 D2:5 D6G6? :?E6C:@C >:?:DECJ A6CD@??6= H6C6 56E2:?65 7@C BF6DE:@?:?8]k^Am
kAm$JC:2’D x?E6C:@C |:?:DECJ DA@<6DA6CD@? }@FC655:?6 2=\q232[ DA62<:?8 E@ ;@FC?2=:DED[ 24@H=65865 “D9@CE4@>:?8D 2?5 567:4:6?4:6D” 😕 D@>6 @7 E96 4@F?ECJVD A@=:46 56A2CE>6?ED 3FE D2:5 @E96CD H6C6 5@:?8 “6I46AE:@?2=” H@C<]k^Am
kAm“v@5 H:==:?8[ E9:D A2:?7F= :?4:56?E H:== D6CG6 2D 2 42E2=JDE 7@C A@D:E:G6 492?86 😕 E96 @A6C2E:@?D @7 E96 >:?:DECJ @7 :?E6C:@C[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
k9am(2E495@8D 42== v92>:C2’D 562E9 A2CE @7 2 H:56C AC@3=6>k^9am
kAmx? 2 C6A@CE C6=62D65 😕 |2C49[ E96 &]}] x?56A6?56?E x?E6C?2E:@?2= r@>>:DD:@? @7 x?BF:CJ @? E96 $JC:2? pC23 #6AF3=:4 D2:5 :E 925 5@4F>6?E65 “E@CEFC6 2?5 :==\EC62E>6?E” 😕 `g @77:4:2= 56E6?E:@? 724:=:E:6D 2?5 `a “>2<6D9:7E 724:=:E:6D” 😕 5:776C6?E 2C62D @7 $JC:2 36EH66? y2?F2CJ 2?5 ~4E@36C a_ad[ 😕 E96 >@?E9D 7@==@H:?8 pDD25VD @FDE6C 2D E96 ?6H 8@G6C?>6?E 2DD6CE65 4@?EC@=]k^Am
kAm%96 AC24E:46D :E 5@4F>6?E65 :?4=F565 362E:?8 AC:D@?6CD H:E9 C:7=6 3FEED[ DE:4D @7 E@CEFC6j >@4< 6I64FE:@?Dj 2?5 D6IF2= G:@=6?46]k^Am
kAm$JC:2?D 7@C %CFE9 2?5 yFDE:46[ 2 9F>2? C:89ED @C82?:K2E:@? E92E EC24@?E9 D2:5 E92E “D6G6C6 362E:?8D[ 6=64EC:4 D9@4:=:2E:@?[ E9C62ED[ 56AC:G2E:@? @7 32D:4 ?646DD:E:6D[ 2?5 562E9D 😕 4FDE@5J 4@?E:?F6 E@ 36 4@>>@? AC24E:46D 2E E96 92?5D @7 >F=E:A=6 D64FC:EJ 2?5 >:=:E2CJ 24E@CD]”k^Am
kAm%96 8C@FA 4@?4=F565 E92E E96 :?4:56?ED H6C6 E@@ H:56DAC625 E@ EC62E 2D :D@=2E65 :?4:56?ED 3FE E92E E96C6 H2D ?@E 6G:56?46 @7 2 “D:?8=6 46?EC2=:K65 DJDE6> 6BF:G2=6?E 😕 DECF4EFC6 2?5 5:C64E:@? E@ E96 E@CEFC6 2AA2C2EFD 6?EC6?4965 3J E96 pDD25 C68:>6]”k^Am
kAm“xE 😀 D@>69@H H:56DAC625[ 3FE :E’D ?@E DECF4EFC65[” q2DD2> p=29>25[ E96 8C@FA’D 6I64FE:G6 5:C64E@C[ E@=5 %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD] “u@C FD[ E96C6 😀 ?@ 6G:56?46 E92E E96D6 @C56CD 42>6 7C@> E96 4@>>2?56CD E@ E@CEFC6 A6@A=6[ 3FE DE:== WE96 2FE9@C:E:6DX 92G6 2 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ E@ DE@A E9:D 3692G:@C]Qk^Am
kAm$JC:2?D H9@D6 =@G65 @?6D 5:D2AA62C65 @C 5:65 😕 56E6?E:@? 46?E6CD 5FC:?8 pDD25’D CF=6 D2:5 E96J H6C6 5:DEFC365 E@ D66 E96 A2EE6C?D 36:?8 C6A62E65 F?56C E96 ?6H 8@G6C?>6?E]k^Am
kAmu2>:=:6D 7@C uC665@>[ 2 8C@FA C6AC6D6?E:?8 C6=2E:G6D @7 56E2:?66D[ D2:5 😕 2 DE2E6>6?E[ “(92E 92AA6?65 E@ |@92>>65 C6@A6?D E96 H@F?5D @7 E@CEFC6 2?5 562E9 😕 56E6?E:@? 7@C E9@FD2?5D @7 $JC:2? 72>:=:6D — AC24E:46D $JC:2?D 92G6 DECF88=65 7@C J62CD E@ 6?5[ 2?5 E96 C64FCC6?46 @7 H9:49 42??@E 36 2446AE65 E@52J]”k^Am
k9C ^m
kAm$6H6== C6A@CE65 7C@> q6:CFE]k^Am
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.