أليس كادي

A BBC investigation traces former Syrian General Intelligence chief Hossam Louqa, known as “the Spider,” through documents, testimonies and phone records found after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Survivors and rights groups accuse Louqa of directing repression in Homs, including involvement in the 2015 Eid massacre in al-Waer, while his tenure is also linked to detention, torture and disappearances. The investigation follows contacts from his Damascus address book through Syria and Lebanon to Russia, where phone calls and location data indicate that he may be living near Moscow under Russian protection. Louqa refuses to answer the allegations directly, while Russia does not respond to requests for comment. Syrian authorities say they have issued an arrest warrant and filed charges including intentional killing and torture, but victims fear that accountability will remain out of reach.