Executive Summary
- High-Profile Fugitive: Major General Jamil al-Hassan, former head of Syrian Air Force Intelligence, is being hunted by the US, France, Germany, and the new Syrian government.
- Suspected Location: Intelligence reports suggest Hassan may be hiding in Lebanon under the protection of regime loyalists following the collapse of the Assad dictatorship.
- Severe Allegations: Hassan faces accusations of overseeing industrial-scale torture, chemical warfare, and the execution of American citizens.
- International Cooperation: The manhunt involves coordination between Western intelligence agencies like the FBI and Syria’s new National Commission for Transitional Justice.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Following the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December, international intelligence agencies and the newly formed Syrian government have launched a coordinated manhunt for Major General Jamil al-Hassan, the former head of Syria’s Air Force Intelligence. Hassan, who led the agency from 2009 to 2019, is a primary target for law enforcement in the United States, France, and Germany due to his alleged role in overseeing extensive networks of torture and state-sanctioned violence.
According to an investigative report by The Wall Street Journal, authorities suspect Hassan may be hiding in Lebanon, potentially shielded by remaining networks of regime loyalists. While members of the Assad family reportedly fled to Russia, intelligence assessments suggest that Hassan and other senior security officials dispersed across the Middle East. A French official confirmed to the Journal that both Paris and the new Syrian administration have formally requested assistance from Lebanese authorities to locate and arrest the former general, although officials in Beirut state they lack confirmed information regarding his whereabouts.
Hassan is already the subject of significant international legal action. He has been convicted in absentia in France for crimes against humanity and faces an active arrest warrant in Germany. Additionally, United States authorities are seeking Hassan for his alleged involvement in the torture and execution of American citizens, including aid worker Layla Shweikani. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been gathering testimony from survivors, including Dina Kash, who told agents that Hassan personally directed specific methods of physical and psychological torture against detainees.
Documents secured by the Commission for International Justice and Accountability (CIJA) indicate that Hassan issued explicit orders for security forces to fire on peaceful protesters and approved airstrikes on medical facilities. During his tenure, the Air Force Intelligence agency was described by analysts as the core of the regime’s security apparatus. Forensic evidence provided by the whistleblower known as "Caesar" documented the deaths of 352 individuals within the agency’s facilities between 2011 and 2013 alone.
The search for Hassan is viewed as a critical test for the new Syrian government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Abdulbaset Abdullatif, head of the newly established National Commission for Transitional Justice, emphasized the administration’s commitment to accountability, stating to reporters that Hassan’s capture is a priority for a nation addressing over a decade of conflict. Investigators are currently excavating sites of former military field courts and mass graves associated with Hassan’s command to gather further evidence.
International Accountability Outlook
The pursuit of Jamil al-Hassan represents a pivotal moment for international criminal justice and the legitimacy of Syria’s post-war transition. Successfully apprehending a high-ranking official implicated in systemic state violence would set a significant precedent for cross-border judicial cooperation between Western nations and the new Syrian leadership. The outcome of this manhunt will likely influence the broader framework for prosecuting war crimes in the region, determining whether key architects of the former regime face tribunals in Damascus or international courts. It is important to note that while Hassan has been convicted in absentia in France, he remains presumed innocent of outstanding charges in other jurisdictions, including the United States, until proven guilty in a court of law.
