Muhsen AlMustafa, a researcher assistant at the Omran Center for Strategic Studies and a fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, revealed to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that “the head of the Syrian General Intelligence Directorate, Hossam Louka, has three children: Nouri, Natasha, and Satanay. While Nouri is pursuing graduate studies in Russia, Natasha completed her studies in pharmacy and married the son of Ibrahim Othman, head of the Atomic Energy Commission of the Syrian regime. As for Satanay, she studied at the Higher Institute of Business Administration in Damascus.” AlMustafa suggested that she is likely to be employed at a United Nations office.

He explained that “employment in the UN office where Louka’s daughter works is secured through recommendations from influential individuals and via informal networks within the UN in Damascus,” adding that “other applicants may even be intimidated so that the candidate favored by the Syrian regime ultimately takes the position.” AlMustafa stressed that “having employees in UN offices who are close to the regime or related to its leaders is nothing new; while such employment might be legally sound, it contradicts the values the UN claims to represent.”