Two former security officials of Bashar al-Assad’s government appeared in a court in Austria on Monday to answer charges related to their alleged involvement in the torture of opponents and serious human rights violations.
According to the indictment, the two former officials one of whom served in the intelligence services and the other in the judicial police of the former Syrian government are accused of committing acts including torture and the mistreatment of civilians in Raqqa between 2011 and 2013.
Court documents state that the defendants were responsible for the detention and treatment of a number of citizens who were imprisoned following anti-government protests in Raqqa.
The Syrian state news agency reported that the defendants are facing charges including “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity,” allegations linked to their actions during the early years of the Syrian conflict.
One of the defendants, Khaled al-Halabi, has been referred to in some media reports as the “General of Torture.” Reports indicate that he arrived in Europe in 2015 and subsequently resided in Austria.
According to published information, both defendants applied for asylum in Austria in 2015 and have lived in the country ever since.
The trial began on June 1 and is expected to continue until July 30. If found guilty, the defendants could face sentences of up to 10 years in prison.
Lawyers representing a number of victims have described the start of the trial as an important step toward achieving justice for survivors of prisons and victims of human rights abuses during Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
The case is being prosecuted under the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows certain countries to investigate allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity even when those crimes were committed outside their territory.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
