Former Syrian intelligence chief Hossam Louka, who fled the country after Assad’s overthrow, may be in Russia

Former Syrian intelligence chief Hossam Louka, who fled the country after Assad’s overthrow, may be in Russia

This is stated in a BBC News investigation.

Hossam Louka headed Syria’s General Security Directorate under Bashar al-Assad. He was known by the nickname “Spider” because of his extensive network of informants. Syria’s current authorities accuse Louka of “premeditated killings, torture, and deaths resulting from torture.”

Louka disappeared in December 2024, shortly after Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in Syria. A high-ranking source in the Lebanese government told journalists that Louka traveled through Lebanon “on a valid Russian passport, but under a different name.”

His presumed whereabouts were identified through contacts in an address book found in an abandoned residence in Damascus.

@meduzalive