James Le Mesurier and his wife Emma Winberg (File)


Just over two years ago, James Le Mesurier, instrumental in the creation of Syria’s White Helmets civil defense organization, fell to his death from a balcony in Istanbul, Turkey.

About 16 months earlier, as pro-Assad forces were reoccupying southern Syria, Le Mesurier had helped evacuate 98 White Helmets rescuers and their families — a total of 422 people — to Israel, from where they went to countries such as Canada and the UK.

But he could not save himself from the years-long disinformation campaign waged by Russia, the Assad regime, and their supporters, and from false accusations of embezzlement of aid funds.

See also How Assad’s Disinformation Warriors Hounded James Le Mesurier to His Death
Why Assad’s Apologists Think White Helmets Should Risk Being Detained and Killed

Last year Chloe Hadjimatheou documented the disinformation assault on the White Helmets, overseen by the Mayday Foundation, and Le Mesurier in the 12-part BBC radio series Mayday.

Now Christoph Reuter of Germany’s Spiegel adds details in a lengthy exposé, “The Story of the Destruction of an Aid Organization“.

Destroying A Man, An Organization, and Syrian Lives

Reuter details the incident that fed the campaign to destroy Le Mesurier. Desperate to get White Helmets personnel to safety amid the pro-Assad advance, he took $50,000 in cash from the Mayday Foundation’s emergency reserve and took it to Jordan. He spent $9,200, but forgot his instruction to the accounting department to offset the rest against his salary.

The White Helmets’ finance director Johan Eleveld, a bookkeeper with a suspect background, pursued Le Mesurier as a criminal. A full investigation in 2020 finally established there were no misappropriations, but the absolution came far too late.

(Meanwhile, Eleveld gave himself a large raise and additional bonuses. A Dutch court eventually ordered him to repay 18,000 euros.)

Despite the clearance of Le Mesurier, the Dutch daily Volkskrant relied on Eleveld for a story in July 2020, “The Black Side of the White Helmets”. The article recycled the accusations and disinformation, defying the warning from the new head of Mayday’s board of directors Cornelis Vrieswijk that the claims had no foundation.

Volkskrant has never issued a retraction. Instead, it filed a complaint against a fellow Dutch publication, De Groene Amsterdammer, when it wrote about Eleveld’s suspect background and the bankruptcies of companies for whom he worked.

The Mayday Foundation was dissolved. The White Helmets continue their operations in opposition-held northwest Syria, with assistance continuing from some donor countries. The disinformation campaign against them also persists.

See also Coronavirus: Syria’s White Helmets Awarded $1.6 Million to Make Personal Protective Equipment

Vrieswijk, the former head of Mayday’s board, reflects:

It is tragic how all the lies and false accusations destroyed Mayday and drove James to despair.

I also thought at the beginning that he had enriched himself in a disgusting manner — until we came to realize that neither he nor Emma had embezzled even a single penny.

My impression shifted 180 degrees. Today, I see him as somebody I really admire.