Position: Head of the Interrogation Branch at Air Force Intelligence Administration
Association: Assad Regime
Loyalty: Assad Regime
Most Notorious Crimes:
- Involvement in gross violations of human rights, namely torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment and punishment.
Profile
Abdul-Salam Fajr Mahmoud was born in 1959 in the town of al-Foua in Idlib Governorate. He held the rank of Brigadier General and served under the Air Force Intelligence Directorate. He occupied several positions: Director of the office of Major General Mohammed al-Khuli (former head of the Air Force Intelligence Directorate); later, in 2010, he became head of the Southern Region Branch of Air Force Intelligence; and afterward, he was appointed Chief of the Investigations Branch at the Air Force Intelligence Directorate located in the Mezzeh Military Airport.
When the peaceful protests began in March 2011, Mahmoud took charge of interrogating detainees held by the Air Force Intelligence Directorate—individuals transferred from various Syrian provinces to the investigations branch at Mezzeh Airport. The branch he headed became notorious for systematically torturing detainees and carrying out extrajudicial killings, including against children as young as thirteen.
According to reports, methods of torture included: beating with sticks, flogging, hanging detainees by their hands from the ceiling for hours or days, the use of electric shocks (outside any legal framework), and deprivation of food, water, and sleep.
On December 10, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice announced charges against him and Jamil Hassan for committing war crimes involving “the cruel and inhumane treatment of civilian detainees… in detention facilities at Mezzeh Military Airport.”
According to a report by the Syrian Justice and Accountability Center (SJAC) cited by Reuters, at least 29,000 detainees were held at Mezzeh Military Airport between 2011 and 2017, with more than 1,000 dying there due to torture, ill-treatment, or execution.
Mahmoud is implicated in the torture of detainees, including U.S. citizens and dual nationals. Among the victims was Layla Shweikani, a Syrian-American aid worker who was arrested in 2015–2016, tortured, and believed to have been later executed at Sednaya Prison. Abdul-Salam Mahmoud and his intelligence apparatus are alleged to have played a direct role in her torture during her detention under Air Force Intelligence.
Identity
Full name: Abdul-Salam Fajr Mahmoud (عبد السلام فجر محمود)
Date of Birth: 1959
Place of Birth: al-Foua in Idlib Governorate
Nationality: Syrian
Career Timeline
- Director of the office of Major General Mohammed al-Khuli (former head of the Air Force Intelligence Directorate
- In 2010, he became head of the Southern Region Branch of Air Force Intelligence
- After the beginning of the revolution, he was appointed Chief of the Investigations Branch at the Air Force Intelligence Directorate located in the Mezzeh Military Airport.
Crimes & Responsibility
- Between 2011 and 2017, Mezzeh Military Airport served as a detention center for 29,000 people. During this period, over 1,000 detainees died there as a result of torture, ill-treatment, or execution.
- Mahmoud is implicated in the torture of detainees, including U.S. citizens and dual nationals. One known victim is Layla Shweikani, a Syrian-American aid worker. She was arrested in 2015–2016, subjected to torture, and is believed to have been executed subsequently at Sednaya Prison.
- Abdul-Salam Mahmoud and his intelligence apparatus were directly involved in her torture while she was detained by Air Force Intelligence.
Legal Proceedings and Sanctions
- He has been listed under European, British, and U.S. sanctions for activities related to human rights violations.
- On December 10, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice announced charges against him and Jamil Hassan for committing war crimes involving “the cruel and inhumane treatment of civilian detainees… in detention facilities at Mezzeh Military Airport.”
Current Status/Whereabouts
- Head of the Interrogation Branch in the air force intelligence admin.
- From al-Fu’a, Idlib
- Was listed in European sanctions since 2011https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/680b4ad8382965132de1aad1/Syria.pdf
- Head of air force intelligence branch in Harasta in 2010
- He then became the head of the Interrogation Branch in the air force intelligence admin at mezze military airport.
- Indicted in french courts and being sought after by the US for Chicago case
- Interrogated Layla
- Brigadier General
- Torture to death of layla