Germany indicts ex-Syrian jail guard over torture and dozens of deaths

Summary

German prosecutors have charged a former Syrian security official, named only as Fahad A, with crimes against humanity and murder for his alleged role in torturing detainees at a Damascus prison between 2011 and 2012. The Federal Public Prosecutor General's office says Fahad A took part in more than 100 interrogations in which prisoners were subjected to electric shocks, cable beatings, forced stress positions and suspension from the ceiling. Prosecutors added that the mistreatment and catastrophic prison conditions led to the deaths of at least 70 inmates; the suspect was arrested on May 27, formally indicted on December 10, and remains in pre-trial detention.

The case forms part of Germany's broader use of universal jurisdiction to pursue alleged Syrian war criminals living in the country, which is home to about one million Syrians. Recent prosecutions include a Frankfurt court handing a life sentence in June to a Syrian doctor convicted of torture and murder at military hospitals. The moves reflect international and Syrian demands for accountability after nearly 14 years of conflict and the removal of Bashar al-Assad from power in December 2024, as reported by Al Jazeera