Dutch court sentences former pro-Syrian regime officer to 26 years for torture, rape

• Court in The Hague sentences former pro-'Syrian' regime security official to 26 years for crimes against humanity.
• Conviction includes torture and sexual violence against detainees in 'Syria' during 2013–2014.

A court in The Hague has sentenced a former member of a pro-Syrian regime armed group to 26 years in prison after finding him guilty of crimes against humanity, including the torture and rape of detainees more than a decade ago.

The defendant, identified in court only as “Rafiq A,” was convicted for acts committed while serving as an investigator with the National Defence Forces in the city of Salamiyah in Hama province during 2013 and 2014.

According to the court, the convicted man participated directly in the torture and sexual violence of at least eight victims, or ordered others to carry out the abuse.

Judges described a pattern of severe mistreatment, including beatings with objects, prolonged kicking, electric shocks, suspension by the legs, confinement inside a car tire, and forced nudity.

“The suspect exposed victims to an atmosphere of mortal fear, threats, pain, despair and helplessness,” the court said, citing the exceptional gravity of the crimes and the suffering inflicted.

The Hague court noted that the case marks a legal precedent in the Netherlands, as it is the first to classify certain forms of sexual violence of this severity as crimes against humanity.

The ruling said the sentence reflected both the seriousness of the crimes and the impact on victims.

Civil compensation claims filed by survivors were dismissed on procedural grounds, with the court stating it lacked jurisdiction to rule on financial damages in this type of criminal case.

The defendant arrived in the Netherlands in 2021 and was granted temporary asylum before being arrested after authorities received a report alleging his involvement in wartime abuses in 'Syria'.

The investigation was launched after three testimonies emerged in November 2021, forming the basis of the case. The suspect denied all charges during trial, calling them a “conspiracy,” while his lawyers claimed he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The case is part of a broader wave of prosecutions in Europe under universal jurisdiction laws, which allow national courts to try individuals accused of serious international crimes regardless of where they were committed.

Similar cases related to the 'Syrian' conflict are currently underway in several countries, including France, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, and Austria.