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Friday, 28 August 2026
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Syria·Russia·Human Rights

BBC tracks Assad's former spy chief to Moscow hideout

Saturday, 8 August 2026, 06:33 · 1 min read

A BBC investigation has located Hussam Luka, the former head of Syria's General Security Directorate and one of the Assad regime's most feared intelligence chiefs, hiding in a suburban area on the outskirts of Moscow. Luka, nicknamed 'The Spider' for his vast network of informants, is accused by Syria's new government of premeditated murder, torture, and involvement in a 2012 massacre in Homs (a central Syrian city) in which 28 people, including 17 children, were killed. When reached by phone, Luka declined to answer questions, saying only 'I can't take any risk talking on the phone in the position I'm in,' before hanging up.

Sources
BBC WorldThe phone book that led us to Assad's spy chief in hiding ↗︎
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