Position:
- Brigadier General in the Syrian military
- Former Head of the Investigation Branch of the Air Intelligence Directorate
Association:
Syrian Air Intelligence Directorate,
Sednaya Prison investigation department
The security apparatus overseeing Eastern Ghouta.
Loyalty:
Long-standing loyalist to the Assad regime’s intelligence and security structure.
Most Notorious Crimes
- Supervised Air Intelligence interrogation operations, a branch widely documented for torture and forced disappearances.
- Involved in coercive “reconciliation agreements” in Eastern Ghouta, linked to forced detentions and abuses.
- Accused of war crimes by Syrian authorities following his arrest in 2025.
- Participation in torture and killings at Sednaya Prison, including command responsibility over interrogation units.
Identity
- Full Name: Salim Daghstani
- Rank: Brigadier General (عميد)
- Nationality: Syrian
- Origin: Hails from a Circassian-majority village in Homs
- DOB / Specific birthplace:
Career Timeline
- Head of Investigation Branch – Air Intelligence Directorate
- Head of Security Committee – Eastern Ghouta
Crimes & Responsibility
- As head of Air Intelligence investigations, oversaw units responsible for systematic torture, inhumane detention, and forced disappearances.
- Key actor in security operations in Eastern Ghouta involving arbitrary arrests and coercive deals.
- Part of internal structures implicated in crimes against humanity.
Legal Proceedings and Sanctions
- Arrested in April 2025 by the Public Security Department in Latakia, accused of war crimes.
- Referred to public prosecution; further judicial details not yet released.
- No known international sanctions or indictments before his arrest.
Current Status / Whereabouts
- In detention as of April 2025 under Syrian authorities
Head of the Investigation Branch of the Air Intelligence Directorate, He served as head of the investigation department at the notorious Sednaya prison and as head of the security committee in Eastern Ghouta.
I (Ahmad) think he is responsible for interrogating Dr. Kamalmaz
In April 2025, The Public Security Department in Latakia city said it had arrested him.