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The Koblenz court decided to punish Anwar Raslan, a senior member of the Syrian secret police, for life for using torture methods against civilians opposed to the government of Bashar al-Assad. The ruling is considered historic by human rights groups, who hope it will be a first step in finding justice for the criminal acts committed in Syria. “This is a breakthrough for the victims,” said Human Rights Watch International Justice Director Balkees Jarrah.
This Thursday, January 13, a German court in the city of Koblenz issued the verdict against Anwar Raslan, a former Syrian secret police officer who was sentenced to life imprisonment for being responsible for dozens of crimes against humanity. Although he did not execute any in person, he was in charge of a facility in Douma known as ‘Al Khatib’, a detention center for opposition protesters.
The verdict is considered historic given that it is the first of its kind to punish acts carried out in Syria and international courts will be able to cite this case, explained Patrick Kroker, a lawyer at the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights. Victims and human rights groups hope that this resolution will be the kick-start in clearing up the criminal complaints that were not filed against Syrian officials.
“We are beginning to see the fruits of a determined push by brave survivors, activists and others to achieve justice for the horrific atrocities in Syria’s prison network,” said Balkees Jarrah, deputy director of International Justice at Human Rights Watch.
Jarrah added that “it is a great advance” for the victims and highlighted the work of the German justice system to “break the wall of impunity.”
“Other countries should follow suit and actively reinforce efforts to prosecute serious crimes in Syria,” he concluded.
The former officer’s defense had asked the previous week that his client be acquitted, alleging that he did not carry out any torture and that he deserted the Army in 2012. However, the court favored the foundations of the German prosecutors who argued that Raslan supervised the torture of his subordinates. Some of the evidence was photographs of the victims smuggled out by a former police officer.
It is the second convicted related to the events in Syria after, in 2021, Eyad al-Gharib – a junior officer – was convicted of an accessory to crimes against humanity. In Koblenz, he received four and a half years in prison. Both were arrested in Germany in 2019.
The number of those affected reaches 4,000 detainees between April 2011 and September 2012, of which a dozen died. Within the torture system, there are physical violence, rape and other forms of sexual abuse.
It is estimated that there are approximately 149,000 people held or missing by Syrian forces, 85% at the hands of the national government. In addition, most were after the social outbreak of the protests in March 2011, where the Al-Assad Administration fought back with fierce repression.
With AP
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