DAMASCUS - Syrian interim authorities have released "dozens" of detainees arrested during the country's conflict in December that led to the downfall of former president Bashar al-Assad, after investigations found no evidence of war crimes, a senior official said Tuesday.
Hassan Soufan, a member of the Supreme Committee for Civil Peace, told reporters during a press conference in Damascus that the freed individuals, including military officers, had voluntarily surrendered and were held under a "trustee" arrangement. Their continued detention, he said, served no national interest and lacked legal justification.
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The remarks came a day following an announcement by Latakia's internal security leadership, in coordination with the Civil Peace Committee, about freeing scores of detainees arrested during the conflict who were never formally charged.
Soufan stressed that transitional justice does not mean holding everyone who served the former government accountable, but rather prosecuting senior criminals who committed serious crimes and violations.
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"Revenge will not achieve transitional justice, it will only create chaos," Soufan said, warning against rushed prosecutions that could invite foreign interference.
Addressing the conference, interior affairs spokesman Noureddin al-Baba said some factions were "threatening the state and undermining civil peace", though he did not name specific foreign actors.
The spokesperson also revealed that members from Syria's former army and intelligence agencies had aided opposition forces during the conflict that led to the downfall of the Assad government, providing critical intelligence and helping neutralize military units.
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Al-Baba said a new interior authorities division will work with Interpol to pursue those responsible for crimes against Syrians and recover stolen assets.
