Abuses in Syria: after the Koblenz verdict, what procedures in France?
Outside a hospital in Aleppo, Syria, March 9, 2014. REUTERS / Hosam Katan
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The verdict of a German court which tried a former member of the Syrian intelligence services, for his role in the repression of the demonstrations which erupted 10 years ago in Syria, is described as historic.
This is the first time that abuses accused of Bashar al-Assad's regime have been tried and condemned.
This precedent took place outside Syrian borders because of the principle of “universal jurisdiction”.
The ongoing trial in Germany is continuing, but in other countries as well legal proceedings are ongoing, particularly in France.
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The principle of "universal jurisdiction" exists in France even if it is more restrictive there than in Germany.
Several files related to Syria are in the hands of French justice, including the case of an individual arrested in 2019 suspected of having committed abuses within the same branch of information as the man
convicted in Germany on
Wednesday.
►
See also: Syria, terrorism: two historic judgments handed down in Germany
Another emblematic case: the Mazen and Patrick Dabbagh case, a father and his son with dual Syrian and French nationality.
Their relatives have not heard from them since their arrest in 2013. Following the complaint filed in France, three senior Syrian officials are the target of international arrest warrants, among them Ali Mamlouk, former head of intelligence for the Damascus regime .
French justice is working on other cases, some of which have not been publicized to protect relatives still living in Syria.
At the same time, a preliminary investigation for “crimes against humanity” has been open since 2015 in France following the dissemination of the infamous “Caesar file”, containing tens of thousands of photos of alleged victims of repression in Syria.
► To read also: Torture in Syria: 54,000 photos showing the horror
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