A German court has sentenced Syrian doctor Alaa Mousa to life imprisonment for committing crimes against humanity, including torture and murder, as part of Bashar al-Assad’s brutal crackdown on dissent. The Frankfurt Higher Regional Court ruled that Mousa’s actions formed part of the Assad regime’s “inhumane and repressive” campaign against opposition figures during Syria’s civil war between 2011 and 2012.
The court found Mousa guilty of torturing patients at military hospitals in Damascus and Homs on 18 occasions, where political prisoners were regularly brought for supposed treatment. Witnesses described numerous acts of severe cruelty, including Mousa pouring flammable liquid on a prisoner’s wounds before setting them alight and kicking the man in the face, shattering his teeth. In another incident, Mousa was accused of injecting a detainee with a fatal substance for refusing to be beaten.
One former prisoner described the Damascus hospital where he was held as a “slaughterhouse”. Mousa denied personally harming patients but admitted witnessing abuse, claiming he was powerless to intervene. “I felt sorry for them, but I couldn’t say anything, or it would have been me instead of the patient,” he said.
The trial, which ran for more than three years, was one of the most significant cases brought under Germany’s principle of universal jurisdiction. Presiding judge Christoph Koller emphasized the brutality of Assad’s regime, stating that the verdict underscored the “brutality of Assad’s dictatorial, unjust regime”.
The German court’s decision to sentence Syrian doctor Alaa Mousa to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity marks a significant milestone in holding individuals accountable for atrocities committed under the Assad regime. Mousa was found guilty of torturing detainees at military hospitals in Damascus and Homs on 18 occasions between 2011 and 2012, with victims being kicked, beaten, and subjected to medical abuse.
The trial, which lasted over three years, highlighted the brutality of Assad’s regime and the need for justice for victims of state-sponsored torture. Presiding judge Christoph Koller emphasized the particular gravity of Mousa’s guilt, citing his sadistic tendencies and the inhumane nature of his crimes. This verdict underscores Germany’s commitment to upholding universal jurisdiction, allowing for the prosecution of serious crimes committed abroad.