The Higher District Court of Koblenz sentenced Anwar Raslan, a former intelligence officer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to life imprisonment in a case of torture and murder. Spiegel writes about it.
Raslan at the first trial trial in Koblenz. Photo: Reuters
The court found Raslan guilty of torturing at least four thousand people in the Damascus city prison, 27 murders and 25 aggravated assaults. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said the ruling was «a strong deterrent and will help prevent future atrocities.»
Raslan's trial took place in Germany in accordance with the principle of universal jurisdiction in international criminal law. It is based on the nature of crimes, the criminal punishment for which is of «universal» interest to the entire international community.
The trial of Raslan began in April 2020. During it, more than 80 witnesses were called to court, and several victims of torture acted as co-prosecutors in the case.
Raslan fled Syria in 2012. In 2014, he and his family were able to enter Germany on a visa and found accommodation in Berlin. Raslan and another defendant, Eyad Algharib, were detained in 2019.