The Truth Behind the Syrian Minister of Interior’s Statement on the Decline in Crime Rates

Social media accounts and platforms, including the “Al-Resala Al-Arabiya” page, circulated a statement attributed to the Syrian Minister of Interior, Anas Khattab, claiming a significant decline in the country’s crime rates.

Original Claim:

“The crime rate in Syria has decreased by more than half since the date of liberation, thanks to the efforts of public security personnel and other security agencies!”

Verification Summary: False.

The “Kashaf” team verified the circulating claim on February 26, 2026, by reviewing all official data issued by the Syrian Ministry of Interior and monitoring statements published in state and local media. We also tracked keywords related to Minister Anas Khattab. The search did not yield any official source or reliable media outlet that published this statement.

On the contrary, according to data from the global “Numbeo” index, which specializes in measuring crime levels, the reality indicates the exact opposite. Syria ranks first in the Arab world and 27th globally for high crime rates, with an index score of 68.

Why is this news false?

• Fabricated Statements: The Syrian Minister of Interior did not issue any official statement or declaration to this effect, nor was it reported by credible media platforms.
• Contradiction with International Indicators: The alleged figures claiming crime dropped “by more than half” completely contradict globally documented statistics, which place Syria among the top countries suffering from high crime levels.

Sources:

• Official data and platforms affiliated with the Syrian Ministry of Interior.
• The global “Numbeo” Crime Index.