From Idlib to Washington
| Item | Information |
|---|---|
| Origin and education | From Tir Ma’la in Homs; studied civil engineering at Cyprus International University. 1 |
| Earlier path | The Syrian Memory says he took part in peaceful activism and armed activity, later joined Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and became a member of its political affairs department. 1 |
| Name used | Worked as media relations officer at the Salvation Government’s Ministry of Information and appeared as “Mohammad al-Sadiq”. 1 |
| Current position | Appointed chargé d’affaires at the Syrian Embassy in Washington in January 2026. 2 |
Terminology: he is sometimes called “Syria’s ambassador in Washington”, but his official title is chargé d’affaires, not an accredited ambassador. 2
Allegations by U.S. journalist Lindsey Snell
Published allegation
In July 2026, U.S. journalist Lindsey Snell published a clip from an interview she said she conducted in 2016 with a masked Jabhat al-Nusra member, and said the man was Mohammad Qanatari. She also accused him of being part of the group around her detention by al-Nusra. 3
Limits of what is established: according to a later report, Snell herself acknowledged that she has no conclusive evidence that Qanatari ordered or personally carried out her abduction. This file is therefore presented as a journalistic allegation supported by video material, not as a judicial finding. 4 Read the article