White Helmets: How the volunteers who saved 100,000 in Syria face a Russian disinformation campaign

The group, whose co-founder died on Monday, have been hailed for their work in Syria’s bloody civil war, writes Middle East correspondent Bel Trew

Members of the Syrian Civil Defence carry away a man rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building following a reported air strike in Kfar Ruma, in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province (AFP/Getty)

The Syrian Civil Defence, better known by their uniform and nickname “the White Helmets”, first burst on to the scene in 2013, as a group of volunteer first responders in one of the world’s bloodiest war zones.

They were created in Turkey with the help of James Le Mesurier, an ex-British army officer and director of Mayday Rescue charity, who helped train the teams.

Le Mesurier, 48, was found dead near to his flat in Istanbul early Monday morning, just days after he was accused of being a spy by the Russian foreign ministry that also lashed out at the White Helmets.

Initial reports suggest he had fallen from his balcony.

In 2013, when the White Helmets were launched, the Syrian revolution had morphed into a horrific messy civil war.

There were few international aid organisations or local ones able to access the worst-hit rebel areas under fierce bombardment from Damascus and its Russian Iranian allies.

Since then the organisation has grown to 2,900 male and female volunteers. Speaking to The Independent, White Helmets chief Raed al-Salah claims the group have saved more than more 119,000 people and have lost over 270 members.

They have also been among the few groups able to properly document much of the indiscriminate regime attacks on civilians.

For this they have secured worldwide support and funding from the US and European government, including the UK.

Just last week Andrew Murrison, the minister for the Middle East, met White Helmets’ chief Salah to discuss Idlib and praised their work.

They were also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016 and in the same year won the Right Livelihood Award, the “Alternative Nobel Prize” for their work.

A year later a documentary film about their work in Aleppo was awarded an Oscar.

But as their fame has grown so has a fervent campaign of criticism from supporters of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and its allies who have accused them of supporting terrorist groups, staging air and artillery strikes for the camera and even faking chemical attacks.

In fact, after the Oscar win the Russian embassy in the UK tweeted: “They are actors serving an agenda, not rescuers”.

Several photos and videos, many of them fake, have been shared online as “evidence”.

It has been complicated by the arrival of jihadi fighters among the rebel ranks, particularly right now in Idlib, the latest frontline.

But the White Helmets maintain their mission is to try to lives and help, no matter who is hurt.

“This propaganda is aimed at our work which the regime doesn’t like. We document war crimes,” Salah told The Independent.

On Friday Maria Zakharova, Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, zeroed in on the group once again signalling out Le Mesurier in particular.

She said her comments were in reaction to Dr Murrison’s claims that the group continues to be subjected to “a massive disinformation campaign by the Syrian regime and the Russian government”.

After the meeting with Salah, the British minister heavily criticised Damascus and Moscow.

“These deceitful tactics are a brazen attempt to divert attention from the barrage of appalling attacks against the Syrian people, which has included the use of chemical weapons,” he said.

A furious Ms Zakharva accused Le Mesurier of working with MI6 and al-Qaeda.

She said White Helmets volunteers, meanwhile, “stage provocations, help most dangerous terrorist groups”.

Experts on Syria who support the White Helmets’ work repeatedly deny the regime and Russian claims.

Hamish de Bretton Jordan, a chemical weapons expert who has investigated regime attacks from within Syria, said the criticism was “deliberate”.

“When people are being bombed every day and you take out the hospitals, the White Helmets are the only one helping out. That is why they are being so viciously attacked. It is part of demoralising and crushing the Syrian public,” he told The Independent.

“They are purely just first responders, and I can vouch for that,” he added.