British 'pharmacist' detained in Syria accused of working with Isis
A man claiming to be a pharmacist from Birmingham has been accused of working with Islamic State (Isis) in video footage shared on social media over the weekend.
The video was posted on Twitter by the International Volunteers Report (IVR) – which describes itself as “an organisation founded to provide a reliable source of news from Kurdistan” – on Saturday (September 22), and shows a blindfolded man being questioned.
The man was arrested “around one month ago” by members of the Syrian Democratic Forces, a US-backed Kurdish militia, near Hajin in Deir ez-Zor, a province on the Syrian border with Iraq, the IVR claimed on Twitter.
The man – who tells his captors his name is Anwar Miah – claims to be a “qualified pharmacist” from Birmingham, who has been working in hospitals in Syria for “under four years”.
When questioned whether he is working for Isis, the man says: “The areas that I worked in were controlled by [Isis] but I work with the general people in the general hospitals.
“They were controlled by [Isis]. I can’t do anything about that, but all my work was with the public.”
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) could not confirm to C+D the veracity of the video or the identity of the man.
“As all UK consular services are suspended in Syria, it is extremely difficult to confirm the whereabouts and status of British nationals there,” an FCO spokesperson said.
“Anyone who has travelled to these areas against UK government advice, for whatever reason, is not only putting themselves in considerable danger, but also under suspicion.”
If you are able to identify the man shown in the video, please contact C+D confidentially by emailing [email protected]
If you have any news about your pharmacy to share, contact C+D on [email protected]