Position: Director of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre (SSRC)
Association: The Assad Regime
Loyalty: Bashar al-Assad
Most Notorious Crimes:
- As head of Institute 1000, Nasri is part of the SSRC’s leadership in charge of developing and producing electronics/computer systems for Syria’s chemical weapons program.
- Considered one of the “masterminds” of the chemical weapons capacity, including efforts to conceal or hide chemical weapons activities following international pressure
Mohammad Khaled Nasri (sometimes “Mohamed Khaled Nasri”) was appointed in 2021 by Bashar al-Assad to be the Director General of the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC), succeeding Amr Armanazi, who held this position for 22 years.
Before this appointment, Nasri ran the Institute 1000 in the scientific research center, and was considered as one the masterminds of Syrian chemical weapons and the one who hid chemical stockpiles in secret depots near Damascus.
In September 2018, an official document signed by Nasri, then Institute 1000 director, revealed that the Syrian regime had transferred most of chemical weapons stockpiles from Jamraya town in 2013 to secret depots near Damascus after the deadly Sarin gas attack on Eastern Ghouta suburbs.
The regime moved most of the chemical arsenal from the Institute 1000 to 105th Brigade near the Presidential Palace in Damascus, on September 19, 2013, which was the same day the regime handed the UN Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) a list of chemical sites in the country, following the Eastern Ghouta Chemical attack on August 21, 2013 when more than 1460 died in the nerve gas attack, two weeks before the arrival of the United Nations inspectors on October 3.
The SSRC is known to be heavily involved in Syria’s chemical weapons development and research programs.
Identity
Full Name: Mohammad Khaled Nasri (محمد خالد نصري)
Date of Birth: Unknown
Place of Birth: Syria
Nationality: Syrian
Career Timeline
Pre 2021: Ran the Center for Scientific Studies and Research “Institute 1000” Program
2021: Bashar al-Assad appointed Mohamed Khaled Nasri as Director General of the Center for Scientific Studies and Research
Crimes & Responsibilities
Leadership role in Institute 1000, SSRC’s division in charge of electronics/computer systems for chemical weapons.
Concealing and facilitating chemical weapons production and related activities following Syria’s entry into the Chemical Weapons Convention / international oversight.
Contributing directly to the technical foundation of the regime’s chemical weapons capacity.
Legal Proceedings & Sanctions
European Union: Officially listed by the EU in 2019 on its sanctions list under Regulation 2019/84 (or relevant implementing acts) for his role as Head of Institute 1000 of the SSRC, due to his involvement in Syria’s chemical weapons programme.
United Kingdom: Also sanctioned as part of UK sanctions lists tied to chemical weapons regulation, for the same involvement at Institute 1000.
Current Status/Whereabouts
Following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, his current location is unknown.