Syria’s New Leadership Arrests Former Regime Enforcer Ibrahim Houeija
The arrest of retired General Ibrahim Houeija, known as the "Butcher of the Assad Family," signals a major shift in Syria’s political and security landscape.
Watan-Syrian Security Forces Arrest Retired General Ibrahim Houeija, Former Regime Strongman
The security forces of the new Syrian administration have arrested retired General Ibrahim Houeija, one of the most notorious figures of the security apparatus during Hafez al-Assad’s rule. Houeija, known as the “Butcher of the Assad Family,” was a key operative in carrying out assassinations and physical eliminations of opposition figures both inside and outside Syria.
Houeija, who led Syria’s Air Force Intelligence from 1987 to 2002, was linked to several high-profile security operations. One of the most notable was the 1977 assassination of Lebanese Druze leader Kamal Jumblatt, whose family blamed the Assad regime for his killing due to his opposition to Syria’s presence in Lebanon. He was also a key commander in the brutal crackdown on the 1982 Hama uprising, which resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.
The arrest came just days before the anniversary of Jumblatt’s assassination, a move that observers see as a significant shift in Syria’s political and security landscape. The development has sparked widespread reactions, especially since Houeija had remained out of the public eye since Bashar al-Assad dismissed him from his position in 2002.
🔴اعتقال #إبراهيم_حويجة…أحد أبرز رجال استخبارات الأسد والمتهم بالمشاركة في اغتيال كمال جنبلاط، لُقب بـ”جزار الأسد”…
ماذا نعرف عنه؟👇 pic.twitter.com/5BTmQj7m2h
— وطن. يغرد خارج السرب (@watanserb_news) March 8, 2025
In addition to his bloody security record, his daughter, Kinanah Houeija, gained notoriety as a Syrian state TV presenter before becoming a chief negotiator for the regime in forced displacement deals. She was accused of taking large commissions in exchange for facilitating these displacements, earning her the nickname “the millionaire negotiator.”
The arrest of Ibrahim Houeija is an unprecedented move, raising questions about the fate of former regime figures and whether the new administration will continue holding those responsible for past regime crimes accountable.