Syrian doctor sentenced to life imprisonment in Germany for crimes committed in Syria
A German court sentenced a Syrian doctor to life imprisonment after convicting him of crimes against humanity and torturing opponents of the Ba'ath regime in military hospitals in Syria between 2011 and 2012.
This trial is the first of its kind in which a doctor is tried for murder and torture in the context of crimes against humanity in Syria, and one of the most prominent trials under universal jurisdiction, which prosecutes perpetrators of grave violations outside their country.
The trial began in January 2022 and lasted 186 sessions, during which the court heard from approximately 50 witnesses and victims. Despite the doctor's plea of innocence and his claim that he was the victim of a conspiracy, the court decided to deny him early release after 15 years and to keep him in preventive detention. This ruling is the first of its kind for a Syrian accused of systematic torture since the ouster of Assad on December 8, 2024.
T/S
ANHA
