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21h ago

Trial Opens in Düsseldorf for Syrian Accused of Islamic State War Crimes

The case exemplifies Germany’s use of universal jurisdiction to try alleged Islamic State atrocities committed in Syria.

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Ein Jahr nach der Festnahme eines mutmaßlichen IS-Mitglieds in Nordrhein-Westfalen hat der Prozess begonnen. Der syrische Staatsbürger Ahmad A. muss sich vor dem Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf wegen mutmaßlicher Kriegsverbrechen verantworten.

Overview

  • Proceedings began with the reading of the indictment at the Higher Regional Court in Düsseldorf, with 19 hearing days initially scheduled through the end of March.
  • Federal prosecutors charge the defendant with membership in a terrorist organization, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aiding murder.
  • According to the indictment, his unit detained and tortured men in August 2014, two were beheaded on the spot, and he allegedly secured the scene as an armed guard.
  • The court introduced evidence including an Islamic State roster and a BKA assessment tying the alias Abu Aboud to the accused, as well as violent imagery found on a tablet seized in Monheim.
  • The defense calls the accusations false and motivated by a family feud, a brother declined to testify, and the defendant remains in pre-trial detention after his January 2025 arrest.