James Le Mesurier, the director of the main organization that supports White Helmets, civil defense workers operating in rebel areas in Syria, was found dead Monday, November 11 in Istanbul, his office said .

The exact cause of the death of this man of British nationality was not known immediately and his office refused to comment. According to press reports, he was found dead, with fractures to both legs and head, early Monday at the foot of the building in which his apartment is located.

"Shock and sadness"

The Istanbul governor's office confirmed the death of Le Mesurier in a statement, saying an investigation was under way to determine the causes. Quoting his wife, Turkish police sources said Le Mesurier "recently started taking antidepressants and sleeping pills because he was in a state of stress."

Police reported to the couple's apartment around 0230 GMT after being alerted to the presence of a dead body in the street, the source said. On their Twitter account, the White Helmets expressed their "shock and sadness" after the death of Le Mesurier, saying that "his humanitarian efforts with Syrians will remain in our memory".

Mesurier, a former British Army officer, ran the Mayday Rescue non-profit organization that coordinates donations for Syrian White Helmets and has offices in Istanbul and the Netherlands.

"A former MI6 agent"

Mayday Rescue confirmed the death of James Le Mesurier on Twitter and called on the media to "refrain from speculating on the reasons" for his death. On October 22, US President Donald Trump approved a $ 4.5 million aid for the White Helmets.

The White Helmets, first aid volunteers known to intervene on the bombed sites to extract the survivors, are accused by the Syrian regime and its Russian ally of supporting the rebels of the areas in which they intervene.

The Russian Foreign Ministry thus stated on November 8th on its Twitter account that Le Mesurier "a former agent of MI6 (the British services)" had "connections with terrorist groups".

A film dedicated to White Helmets won the Oscar for Best Short Documentary in 2017.

With AFP