Mysterious death of ex-British soldier behind Syria's White Helmets followed personal attacks by Russia
James Le Mesurier was the target of a disinformation campaign by the Kremlin, which accused him of being a British spy and an al-Qaida supporter
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ISTANBUL — Mystery surrounds the death of the former British soldier who backed Syria’s White Helmets after his body was found in the street days after the Kremlin accused him of being an MI6 agent with terrorist connections.
James Le Mesurier, 48, an ex-British Army officer, is thought to have fallen from the balcony of his home in Istanbul where he lived with his wife.
British intelligence agencies are monitoring the situation with Whitehall sources stressing it was too soon to say if he was a victim of foul play.
The intelligence services have questioned persistent Russian attacks against Le Mesurier for his support of the rescue group. One Syrian expert said he had faced “unimaginable pressure and targeting as a result.”
Istanbul detectives are investigating his death, and while the exact circumstances remain unclear, Turkish security officials suggested it was being treated as a suspected suicide.
Mayday Rescue, the organization Le Mesurier set up, confirmed his death, but warned against “unnecessary speculation about the cause … until the investigation is completed.”
Mayday Rescue organized and trained the White Helmets rescue group, which was set up in 2013. It grew into a vast network of volunteers operating in opposition-held areas of Syria, and scrambled to rescue victims of air raids conducted by the Bashar al-Assad regime and aided by the Syrian president’s Russian allies. “James dedicated his life to helping civilians respond to emergencies in conflicts and natural disasters,” Mayday Rescue said in a statement.
Le Mesurier was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2016 for his work to protect civilians in Syria, and both he and the White Helmets received international media attention and were the subject of an Oscar-winning documentary.
But he was the target of a disinformation campaign by the Kremlin, which accused him — sources insisted falsely — of being a British intelligence agent and even an al-Qaida supporter.
As recently as three days ago, the Russian ministry of foreign affairs accused him of being a “former agent of Britain’s MI6” and working for the agency in the Balkans, Middle East and Kosovo, adding: “His connections to terrorist groups were reported back during his mission in Kosovo.”
Karen Pierce, the U.K. ambassador to the United Nations, said claims that Le Mesurier was a spy were “categorically untrue” and called him a “true hero” and humanitarian.
Turkish security sources said he was found dead in the early hours of Monday in central Istanbul’s Beyoglu district. “He appeared to have fallen from a height. Current information suggests he had committed suicide,” the source told Middle East Eye news website.
A second Turkish source claimed his flat could only be accessed using fingerprint identification. “Le Mesurier and his wife appear to be alone in the building at the time of the death,” said the source.
A security source told Reuters news agency: “Le Mesurier’s wife told police that she and her husband had taken sleeping pills around 4 a.m. and went to bed. She said she was later woken by knocking on the door, and discovered that her husband was lying on the street surrounded by police.” The Turkish news wire Demioren News Agency reported police had found his face had been cut by a sharp object.
The White Helmets said in a statement: “We have learned with shock and sadness the news of the death of James Le Mesurier. The Syrian civil defence family extends its deepest condolences to James’s family. We express our deepest sorrow and solidarity.”
Emma Beals, editor of the Syria In Context website, said: “James is one of only a few people in the world who took concrete action to save Syrian lives. He faced unimaginable pressure and targeting as a result.”
Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, an ex-Army officer who served with Le Mesurier and later worked with him in Syria, said he seemed in “good heart” when he met him in Istanbul last month. He said Mr Le Mesurier knew he was the target of Russian-fuelled vitriol and took precautions. “He took security seriously,” he said. “He knew the risks of operating in this world and did all he could to minimize them.”
Le Mesurier’s body was due to be handed over to the Forensic Medicine Institute for a post mortem before being repatriated to the U.K.
He was born in Singapore, graduated from Sandhurst and served with the Royal Green Jackets in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Kosovo. He is understood to have married last year.
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