DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Hundreds of former Syrian troopers on Saturday reported to the nation’s new rulers for the primary time since Bashar Assad was ousted to reply questions on whether or not they might have been concerned in crimes in opposition to civilians in alternate for a promised amnesty and return to civilian life.
The former troopers trooped to what was the pinnacle workplace in Damascus of Assad’s Baath get together that had dominated Syria for six a long time. They have been met with interrogators, former insurgents who stormed Damascus on Dec. 8, and given an inventory of questions and a registration quantity. They have been free to go away.
Some members of the defunct navy and safety providers ready exterior the constructing instructed The Associated Press that that they had joined Assad’s forces as a result of it meant a steady month-to-month earnings and free medical care.
The fall of Assad took many without warning as tens of 1000’s of troopers and members of safety providers didn’t cease the advancing insurgents. Now answerable for the nation, and Assad in exile in Russia, the brand new authorities are investigating atrocities by Assad’s forces, mass graves and an array of prisons run by the navy, intelligence and safety companies infamous for systematic torture, mass executions and brutal situations.
Lt. Col. Walid Abd Rabbo, who works with the brand new Interior Ministry, stated the military has been dissolved and the interim authorities has not determined but on whether or not these “whose palms should not tainted in blood” can apply to hitch the navy once more. The new leaders have vowed to punish these liable for crimes in opposition to Syrians beneath Assad.
Several areas for the interrogation and registration of former troopers have been opened in different components of Syria in current days.
Members of Bashar Assad’s military or a pro-government militia, collect to be registered with Syrian rebels as a part of an “identification and reconciliation course of” in Damascus, Syria, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
“Today I’m coming for the reconciliation and don’t know what is going to occur subsequent,” stated Abdul-Rahman Ali, 43, who final served within the northern metropolis of Aleppo till it was captured by insurgents in early December.
“We obtained orders to go away every thing and withdraw,” he stated. “I dropped my weapon and placed on civilian garments,” he stated, including that he walked 14 hours till he reached the central city of Salamiyeh, from the place he took a bus to Damascus.
Ali, who was making 700,000 kilos ($45) a month in Assad’s military, stated he would serve his nation once more.
Inside the constructing, males stood in brief traces in entrance of 4 rooms the place interrogators requested every an inventory of questions on a paper.
“I see remorse of their eyes,” an interrogator instructed AP as he questioned a soldier who now works at a shawarma restaurant within the Damascus suburb of Harasta. He spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of he was not allowed to speak to media.
The interrogator requested the soldier the place his rifle is and the person responded that he left it on the base the place he served. He then requested for and was handed the soldier’s navy ID.
“He has turn out to be a civilian,” the interrogator stated, including that the authorities will perform their very own investigation earlier than questioning the identical soldier once more inside weeks to ensure there aren’t any adjustments within the solutions that he gave on Saturday.
The interrogator stated after almost two hours that he had quizzed 20 troopers and the numbers are anticipated to extend within the coming days.
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Associated Press author Albert Aji contributed to this report.
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Follow the AP’s Syria protection at https://apnews.com/hub/syria
