The Syrian security apparatus arrested the former member of parliament, Madloul al-Aziz, accused of security issues and financial corruption.
An official security source confirmed to the Alikhbaria channel today, June 25, that internal security in the capital, Damascus, apprehended al-Aziz, one of the prominent figures of the former Syrian regime.
Who is he?
Madloul al-Aziz is a former member of parliament during its last term 2020-2024, prior to the fall of the previous regime, and is accused of security and financial issues.
According to the Pro Justice website, al-Aziz joined the al-Nusra Front faction between 2012 and 2015.
Al-Aziz defected from al-Nusra after the entry of the Islamic State group into his area in Deir Ezzor, escaping to the capital, Damascus, where he reconciled with the Air Intelligence.
He established a militia from his tribe (al-Baqara) in favor of the Air Intelligence, with several members previously belonging to al-Nusra Front after he coordinated a reconciliation for them with the forces of the former regime.
Al-Aziz was in control of several checkpoints in Deir Ezzor and its countryside within the areas controlled by the former regime, referred to as “Abu Thabah’ checkpoints,” named after him.
The “Abu Thabah'” checkpoints are known for extorting citizens, blackmailing security fugitives, and trading in counterfeit local and foreign currencies, according to the Pro Justice website.
Al-Aziz entered the business field after becoming “illegally enriched,” establishing Sham al-Aziz Company, specializing in the import and export of construction materials and the tools necessary for construction and distribution of derivatives.
The website indicated that al-Aziz is responsible for operations of murder, kidnapping, arrest, ransom demands, and sexual assault from Damascus to Palmyra, reaching the eastern region, including Deir Ezzor, al-Mayadeen, and al-Bukamal.
In parliament
According to the same website, the former member of parliament managed to amass a great fortune through “theft and extortion,” enabling him to participate in the elections for parliament under the regime by buying voters’ votes and the integrity of ballot box monitors.
He also nominated himself for the elections with the support of “Hajj Ali,” the leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards militia in Deir Ezzor, and with the support of Nawaf al-Bashir, the Sheikh of the al-Baqara tribe to which al-Aziz descends from one of its branches, the al-Abidat.
On another note, the previous regime removed al-Aziz’s immunity during the last term of the parliament and allowed for legal prosecution against him.
The reasons for the prosecution remain unclear; however, a lawsuit was filed against al-Aziz in April 2023 on charges related to smuggling banned goods (fuel, tobacco, sheep, weapons, food supplies, medical devices), worth 16 billion Syrian pounds.
Al-Aziz was acquitted along with two other individuals facing the same charges, according to a post on his Facebook on June 25, 2024.
After the fall of the Assad regime
Al-Aziz disappeared after the fall of the previous regime, but media reports indicated that he fled to areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) affiliated with the SDF arrested al-Aziz in Deir Ezzor last February.
The Observatory noted that al-Aziz remained in Damascus for a month after the fall of the regime, then gained “security” through one of his tribesmen from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (the nucleus of the current authority), then escaped to Deir Ezzor after hearing about the intention to arrest him by the General Security apparatus.
Damascus: Security apparatus arrests former parliament member Madloul al-Aziz Enab Baladi.
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