White helmet "backer" dead. Fell off balcony.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/james-le-mesurier-death-white-helmets-istanbul-fall-syria-spy-russia-a9198071.html?amp



News > World > Middle East
James Le Mesurier: White Helmets backer found dead near his home in Istanbul

Former army officer helped start the White Helmets, credited with saving thousands of lives in Syria

    Bel Trew
    Middle East Correspondent @beltrew
    9 minutes ago
    49 comments

A former British army officer, who helped start the “White Helmets”, an emergency response group in Syria, has been found dead near his home in Istanbul, just days after the Russian foreign ministry menaced him, accusing him of being a spy. 

James le Mesurier was the director of Mayday Rescue charity that trained members of the Syria Civil Defence, nicknamed the White Helmets, playing a major role in its creation in Turkey in 2013.

He was awarded an Order of the British Empire for his work helping Syrians three years later. 

It is not known how Mr Le Mesurier died, but sources reported he may have fallen from the balcony of his apartment in the Turkish city.

His death comes just three days after Maria Zakharova, a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, publicly attacked Mr Le Mesurier claiming on Friday he was a “former agent of Britain’s MI6, who has been spotted all around the world”.
The White Helmets assist in Douma, Syria
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“We were informed by his family that he had died,” Raed al-Salah, the head of the White Helmets told The Independent.

“We read that the police found his body outside his home in Istanbul. But as of now, the police are investigating the case and have drawn no conclusions yet. We are waiting for the police report,” he added. 

Mr Salah said the White Helmets community were “devastated” by the news.

“James is a close friend to us and to the Syrian people, he supported the White Helmets as founder and director of the Mayday Rescue organisation. We are devastated.”

A neighbour told Reuters he was found dead early on Monday near his home in central Istanbul’s Beyoglu district. A diplomat said the circumstances around his death were unclear.

Mr Mesurier leaves behind two children.

The White Helmets have been credited with saving thousands of people in rebel-held areas during years of bombing by Syrian government and Russian forces in the country's civil war.

Mayday Rescue is a not-for-profit organisation with offices in Amsterdam and Istanbul whose projects have been funded by the United Nations and various governments.

Speaking during a regular press briefing on Friday, Russian spokesman Zakharova attacked Mr Le Mesurier calling him one of the “founders” of the White Helmets.

She claimed he worked as a British spy across the world including the Balkans, and the Middle East. 

Russia is one of the closest allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and has repeatedly denounced the White Helmets accusing them of supporting terrorist organisations,  by “staging” airstrikes to frame Syrian regime or Russian forces. 

On Friday Ms Zakharova claimed the White Helmets "stage provocations...  [and have] planned and carried out a series of ruthless fake chemical attacks."