German court to deliver landmark verdict on Syrian doctor accused of torture

16/6/2025 14:12

A German court is set to deliver a verdict on Monday in the case of a Syrian doctor accused of crimes against humanity, including the torture of detainees at military hospitals in Syria, in a landmark trial following the collapse of the Assad regime.



The trial of the 40-year-old doctor began in January 2022 at the Higher Regional Court in Frankfurt am Main, spanning over 186 sessions where the court listened to about 50 witnesses and victims, along with legal experts.



The defendant, identified as Alaa M. in accordance with German privacy laws, was accused of torturing opponents of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad while serving as a physician at a military prison and hospitals in Homs and Damascus during 2011 and 2012.



In court, Alaa M. pleaded not guilty, saying he was the target of a conspiracy.



The verdict will be the first to be handed down in a case involving former Syrians accused of state-backed torture since Assad was overthrown in December 2024. Germany has prosecuted several former Syrian officials in such cases in recent years.



The Assad government denied it tortured prisoners.