On Monday, the Syrian Interim Government’s Ministry of Defense issued a statement regarding the release of Ibrahim Khalil Salha, a known “shabih” who had participated in battles with the Assad regime and was accused of killing unarmed civilians, from Al-Rai prison in northern Syria. Activists and media reports had revealed that Salha was released by one of the formations of the Syrian National Army.
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The Ministry of Defense clarified that Salha had been arrested and detained by the First Corps, Division 13, Brigade 131 (Muhammad Al-Fateh) in the National Army on May 6, 2021. In compliance with military instructions, Salha was handed over to the judiciary to be tried for his crimes and receive a fair trial.
The Ministry of Defense stated that the case was now in the custody of the judiciary and that the formations of the national army had no knowledge of Salha’s release. The statement emphasized the need to hold the criminal regime accountable for atrocities and bloodshed and called for an investigation into the incident and its circumstances.
Leaked documents showed that the Al-Rai court released Salha after he paid a financial guarantee of 3,000 Turkish liras, equivalent to 150 U.S. dollars.
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
