On Sunday, pro-regime sources reported that Bashar al-Assad has appointed Major General Kifah Moulhem, who is included on European and Canadian sanctions lists, as the head of the Military Intelligence Directorate, replacing Mohamed Mahala, who was retired two days ago.
Social media pages and pro-regime figures circulated the news, including the Assad regime’s former ambassador to Jordan and an officer in the regime intelligence services, Major General Bahjat Suleiman.
According to the “Arab Socialist Baath Party – Homs Branch” page, “Mulham has served a number of security posts, including head of the Military Security branches in Aleppo and Latakia and led military operations in the northern countryside. He was wounded and transferred to the Information Branch and then promoted to Major General and became the deputy head of the Military Security Directorate, leading the regime’s operations in the Homs, Hama and Aleppo countrysides.”
Kifah Moulhem comes from the town of Junaynat Ruslan in Tartous province, and according to a report by the Syrian “With Justice” organization, which focuses on impunity, Moulhem joined the Republican Guard, where he worked under the command of Bassel al-Assad, serving as a messenger between him and former Prime Minister Mahmoud al-Zouabi. When Bassel was killed, Moulhem was transferred to the Military Intelligence Directorate, where he took over the presidency of Military Investigations Branch 248.
Moulhem, according to the group’s report, is one of the officials responsible for the violations carried out by Branch 248 in Damascus between 2011 and 2012.
He shares responsibility along with Major General Mohamed Mahala for the crimes committed by the Military Intelligence Directorate, since he was appointed in 2015 up to July 2018, when he became president of the security council in the southern area, which includes Daraa, Quneitra and Suweida.
Mulham was included on British, European and Canadian sanctions lists because of his responsibility for the large number of crimes carried out against the Syrian people.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
