Mohammed Kanjo Hassan, a former military justice official accused of sentencing thousands of people to death, has been arrested by Syria's new authorities along with his entourage, according to an NGO.

Syria's new authorities have arrested Mohammed Kanjo Hassan, a former military justice official who issued death sentences for detainees in the infamous Saydnaya prison under the ousted government of President Bashar Assad, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The arrest took place in the Tartus province, a stronghold of Assad's clan, along with 20 members of Hassan's entourage.

The Observatory reported that Kanjo Hassan was responsible for issuing "thousands" of sentences, including death penalties, for individuals held in Saydnaya. From 2011 to 2014, during the first three years of Syria's civil war, Hassan served as the head of Syria's military field court. Diab Serriya, co-founder of the Association of Detainees and Missing Persons of Saydnaya Prison (ADMSP), stated that Hassan later became the chief of military justice across Syria. During his tenure, he reportedly sentenced thousands to death in "trials that lasted minutes."

The ADMSP alleges that Hassan amassed $150 million (€143 million) through bribes from the families of detainees who were desperate for information about their loved ones. The Saydnaya prison complex, located approximately 35 kilometers (22 miles) north of Damascus, has become synonymous with extrajudicial executions, torture, and forced disappearances. It stands as a grim symbol of the atrocities inflicted upon opponents of Assad's regime.

According to the ADMSP, around 30,000 individuals were brought to Saydnaya from 2011 onward. Of these, only about 6,000 have been released, while the remaining detainees are still unaccounted for.

International organizations have consistently called for mechanisms to ensure justice and accountability in Syria.