Syrian Militia Leader Sentenced to 10 Years in Germany for War Crimes

The Hamburg court convicted the former Shabiha militia leader of crimes against humanity, including torture and enslavement, during Syria's civil war.

• The 47-year-old Syrian man was found guilty of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed between 2012 and 2015 in Damascus as a leader of the Shabiha militia.
• The court detailed his involvement in torturing detainees, forcing civilians into dangerous front-line labor, and using his position to intimidate and exploit local shopkeepers.
• German authorities arrested the man in 2023 after he was recognized by a fellow Syrian asylum seeker in a Bremen shelter.
• The Shabiha militia, aligned with the Assad regime, was tasked with violently suppressing opposition during the Syrian civil war, which began in 2011.
• This case was prosecuted under Germany’s universal jurisdiction laws, allowing war crimes and crimes against humanity to be tried regardless of where they occurred.

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