A German court sentenced a defendant man who belonged to the Assad administration's intelligence agency to four years and six months in prison for helping torture civilians and being involved in "crimes against humanity" in Syria, where the civil war continues. I handed down the judgment.

In Syria, the dictatorial Assad regime has cracked down on dissident citizens, and human rights groups have pointed out that tens of thousands have died in the last decade after being tortured in prisons.



The High Court of Koblenz, western Germany, sentenced a 44-year-old Syrian man who belonged to an intelligence agency to four years and six months in prison for helping torture civilians in Syria and being involved in "crimes against humanity" on the 24th. Was sentenced to imprisonment.



According to the court, the man was involved in the arrest and transfer of 30 people who participated in anti-government protests in 2011, knowing that there was systematic torture by the Assad administration.



The man moved to Germany after leaving Syria and was arrested in 2019.



Defendant's lawyer claimed that "while working at an intelligence agency, if I did not obey orders, my life could be at risk."



A lawyer who has supported Syrian refugees who testified in court said after the ruling, "It is important that the Assad administration's crime in prison was a crime against humanity. This is the first such ruling in the world." Said and welcomed.



In Germany, a trial against a former executive who belonged to a Syrian intelligence agency is also being held, and it will be interesting to see how much the Assad administration's crackdown on citizens will be clarified.

German Foreign Minister "It's a historic decision"

German Foreign Minister Mars posted on Twitter on the 24th, "It's a historic decision. It's the first decision to hold someone involved in torture in Syria."



On top of that, Foreign Minister Mars said the ruling had symbolic significance for a large number of people in Syria and abroad.



Since the beginning of the Syrian Civil War, the number of refugees and migrants fleeing the war has increased in Germany, and as of 2017, about 700,000 Syrian people live.