James Le Mesurier former British intelligence officer, founder of the Syrian Opposition White Helmets Organization found dead in Istanbul

Director of the Civil Defense Organization in Syria Raed Saleh: We’re saddened and full of sorrow by the death of James Le Mesurier, founder and director of the humanitarian organization Rescue Mayday, one of the institutions supporting the Syrian Civil Defense (White Helmets) at his home in the Top Hanna district of Istanbul, Turkey, today, Monday, 11-11-2019.

Director of the Civil Defense Organization in Syria Raed Saleh: The Syrian Civil Defense family extends its deepest condolences to the James family, and we express our deepest sorrow and solidarity with his family, as we must commend his humanitarian efforts, which the Syrians will always remember.

The head of the Syrian civil defense organization (White Helmets) said on Monday that the founder of the organization, former British army officer James Le Mesurier, has died in Istanbul.

The head of the White Helmets, Raed Salih, said that James Le Mesurier died in Istanbul on Monday and the case is now in the hands of the Turkish police, without giving further details.

Turkish official news agency Anadolu, reported on Monday that the body of a former member of the British military intelligence was found in Istanbul’s Beyoglu district.

Turkish authorities were able to identify a body reported by citizens, where they found it while they were going to perform dawn prayers in the neighborhood of “Karp Mustafa Pasha” in front of his building in Istanbul.

Following the transfer of the corpses to the forensic morgue, the body was found to belong to a former British military intelligence agent named James Gustave Edward Le Mesurier, 48, founder and president of the Syrian Emergency Relief Society.

Turkish police checked security surveillance cameras in the building, indicating that no one entered or left the building.

Police officers went to the victim’s home to obtain his wife’s testimony, noting that Misurier was using sleeping pills, the wife said.

The wife explained that Misurier came to Turkey four years ago and that he recently started using sleep medications and psychotherapy because of his severe mental disorders.

The wife added that “three days ago his health worsened in the Princess Islands and was given medicines and needles for treatment, and in order to get closer to the health center we moved to this house on the third floor and to exercise Missouriier work there”.

“Yesterday we were together until 04.00 am and we took medicine to sleep.

The state of Istanbul issued a statement on the incident, saying: “A thorough administrative and judicial investigation has been launched into the death of the British citizen James Gustave Edward Le Mesurier”.