Amr Armanazi
Amr Armanazi | |
|---|---|
عمرو الأرمنازي | |
| Director General of the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center | |
| In office 1999–2021 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 February 1944 Syria |
| Spouse | Houda Armanazi |
| Children | 4 (Zayd, Bishar, Suzanna and Zeina) |
| Parent | Father: Najib Armanazi |
| Relatives | Brother: Ghayth Armanazi |
| Occupation | Engineer |
Amr Armanazi (Arabic: عمرو الأرمنازي born 7 February 1944) is the former head of the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) of the Syrian Arab Republic. He was sanctioned by the United States, European Union and United Kingdom and other nations for overseeing the chemical warfare development of the Assad regime.[1]
Family and personal life
Amr Armanazi is the son of former Syrian diplomat Najib Armanazi. His father was Syrian ambassador to India and Egypt. Amrs older brother Ghayth Armanazi followed in his fathers footsteps becoming a diplomat for the Arab League and working for the foreign ministry of the United Arab Emirates.[2]
Amr Armanazi had four children with his wife Houda, Zayd, Bishar, Zeina and Suzanna. His two sons Zayd and Bishar studied at the Imperial College London and worked in the financial services industry in the United Kingdom.[3] His daughter Zeina studied at the University of London and worked in a managerial position at Nissan in Syria.[2] His sons Zayd and Bishar and his brother Ghayth became British citizens.[4]
Education and early career
Armanazi earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering at the American University of Beirut. He continued his education at Columbia University in the United States, where he earned a master's degree and a doctorate in electrical engineering.[5] He was president of the Organization of Arab Students at Columbia University.[6]
He worked for the Bell Labs as a researcher between 1971 and 1976 before returning to Syria, where he joined the Scientific Studies and Research Center.[5] He started working in the field of information technology, developing computer research within the Scientific Studies and Research Center. He was a director of the Syrian Computer Society when it was headed by Bashar al-Assad.[2]
Director General of the Scientific Studies and Research Center
Armanazi was named Director General of the Scientific Studies and Research Center in 1999 by then-president Hafez al-Assad.[5] In this capacity he also headed the Technological Branch for Military Targets, that was tasked with developing weapons of mass destruction for the Syrian regime, including the Syrian nuclear program. Under his leadership, the SSRC developed chemical weapons and carrier systems to use them.[7] This included managing a series of front companies to procure missile components for use during the Syrian civil war.[8]
During his time at the head of the Scientific Studies and Research Center, he also held other academic positions in Syria and the wider Arab world, including as a trustee of the Arab International University and the Syrian Virtual University.[5]
In 2012, he was sanctioned by the European Union and United States for his role in procuring and developing weapons for the Syrian Arab Armed Forces which were used in the surveillance and armed suppression of protestors during the 2011 Syrian protests and in the Syrian civil war.[9][7] He was also listed on the UK sanctions list in 2020, after the UK left the European Union.[10]
Later life
Armanazi retired from his role in the Scientific Studies and Research Center in 2021. He stayed in Damascus after the fall of the Assad regime.[11]
References
- ^ "Amr Armanazi". OpenSanctions.org. Retrieved 2026-03-09.
- ^ a b c Solomon, Ronen (2015-02-22). "The Syrian Overseeing WMDs | Israel Defense". www.israeldefense.co.il. Retrieved 2026-03-09.
- ^ Gadher, Dipesh (2018-04-14). "Sons of Syria's 'chemical weapons chief' Amr Armanazi enjoy life as British bankers". www.thetimes.com. Archived from the original on 2026-03-09. Retrieved 2026-03-09.
- ^ Oliphant, Vickiie (2017-04-10). "Son & brother of Assad's chemical weapons chief get UK citizenship". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 2026-03-09.
- ^ a b c d "Prof. Dr. Amr Armanazi". www.aiu.edu.sy. Retrieved 2026-03-09.
- ^ "New York symposium on Mideast will include Palestinian Arabs". The Militant. New York, New York. 1969-07-11. p. 8. Retrieved 2026-03-09.
- ^ a b Council Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 of 18 January 2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria and repealing Regulation (EU) No 442/2011. [1] Retrieved 2026-03-09
- ^ "Syria Chemical Weapons Update: Front Companies for Procurement - 2013". Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control. 2013-10-02. Retrieved 2026-03-09.
- ^ "Treasury Designates Syrian Entity, Others Involved in Arms and Communications Procurement Networks and Identifies Blocked Iranian Aircraft". U.S. Department of the Treasury. 2025-12-23. Retrieved 2026-03-09.
- ^ "Search UK Sanction List: Armanazi Amr". FCDO UK Sanctions List. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Assad's Enforcers Brutalized Syria. Now They're Living Large, Lying Low and Evading Justice". DER STANDARD. Retrieved 2026-03-09.