In brief
In a rare instance of European jurisdiction over crimes committed by the Assad regime, the Vienna court convicted the former General Intelligence Directorate chief of Raqqa for torture and sexual abuse of opponents of Bashar al‑Assad. Alongside him, the former police chief of the city faced similar charges and received the same eight‑year sentence. Both men had applied for asylum in Austria in 2015, and the case drew testimony from victims who described extreme physical and psychological harm. Prosecutors cited the men’s roles in suppressing dissent during the Syrian civil war, while the defendants denied responsibility. The verdict highlights ongoing accountability efforts for war‑era atrocities.
A former chief of Syria’s intelligence service in Raqqa, Khaled al‑H, was found guilty of torture and sexual abuse by a court in Vienna at an early‑morning session on Wednesday.
Alongside him, Moussab Abou R., the former police chief of Raqqa, received the same verdict and a sentence of eight years. Both men had sought asylum in Austria in 2015 after the city fell to the Free Syrian Army in 2013.
The case is a rare example of a European nation exercising jurisdiction over crimes committed by officials of the Assad regime. Prosecutors alleged the abuse was used to suppress protests against the Syrian government during the civil war.
Victims, many of whom had flown in from Europe and Syria, testified that they were stripped, beaten, shocked with electric cables and subjected to hot and cold water treatments. One recounted being struck on the soles of his feet with an electric cable, a detail that underscored the severity of the violence.
Both defendants denied the charges. When questioned, Khaled al‑H. stated that he had not ordered or witnessed torture, citing his membership in the Druze minority as a factor that might have obliged him to follow orders.
The Austrian Press Agency reported that the former chief was brought to the country by the domestic intelligence service, BVT, on the request of Israeli spy agency Mossad as part of a covert operation known as “Operation White Milk”. The operation was overseen by former BVT head Martin Weiss, who is now a fugitive in Dubai.
The two men may appeal the verdicts. The case underscores the challenges of ensuring accountability for human rights violations in conflict zones and the role of international courts in pursuing justice.
