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3d ago

Verdict Expected in German Trial of Syrian Doctor Accused of War Crimes

Prosecutors are seeking life imprisonment for Alaa Mousa based on allegations of torture at Assad regime military hospitals that resulted in detainees’ deaths.

Syrian doctor, 36, known as M. by German media sits with his head covered, accompanied by one of his lawyers Ulrich Endres, as he goes on trial in Frankfurt, Germany, January 19, 2022. Boris Roessler/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Prosecutors have asked judges at Frankurt's higher regional court to hand down a life sentence
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Overview

  • The trial began in January 2022 at Frankfurt’s Higher Regional Court and has spanned over 186 sessions with testimony from about 50 witnesses and victims.
  • Alaa Mousa, 40, is charged with torturing detainees at military hospitals in Damascus and Homs between 2011 and 2012, including pouring flammable liquid on wounds before setting them alight and administering a lethal injection.
  • This verdict will be the first in Germany against an individual accused of state-sponsored torture under Bashar al-Assad since his overthrow in December 2024.
  • Germany is applying universal jurisdiction laws to prosecute alleged crimes against humanity committed abroad, joining other European courts seeking accountability for Syrian war crimes.
  • Mousa denies all charges, claiming a conspiracy, after arriving in Germany in 2015 on a skilled-worker visa and practicing as an orthopaedic doctor until his 2020 arrest.