A Viennese court on Monday handed eight-year jail sentences to a Syrian ex-general and a former police officer for torturing opponents of ousted leader Bashar Assad. The verdict marks the latest case where suspects from the Syrian civil war have been tried in European courts under universal jurisdiction, allowing judges to rule on serious crimes committed abroad.
Convictions and Charges
Khaled Al-Halabi, a 63-year-old former brigadier general in Syria’s intelligence services, was found guilty of torture, aggravated coercion, sexual coercion, and multiple counts of serious bodily harm, according to a court statement. Musab Abu Rukbah, 54, a former police lieutenant colonel, was similarly convicted of serious bodily harm, aggravated coercion, and sexual coercion. The court determined that their abuses, which occurred in Raqqa between April 2011 and March 2013, were part of “systematic torture organized by the state.”
Victim Testimonies
Both defendants pleaded not guilty at the start of their trial in June. Several victims testified to being severely beaten by guards under the pair’s command. One detainee recounted being held naked for eight or nine days, with cold water repeatedly poured on him. “I’m still afraid to this day,” the man told the court, describing how the soles of his feet were beaten with electric cables while Halabi interrogated him. The court issued one acquittal in a case where violence could not be proven.
Legal Proceedings and Compensation
The defense lawyers have not yet indicated whether they will appeal Monday’s judgment. Halabi has been in custody since late December 2024, and his pre-trial detention will count toward his sentence. The court also ordered the pair to pay a total of 130,000 euros ($148,000) in compensation to the victims. Austrian prosecutors accused the duo of “having, on numerous occasions, ordered or failed to oppose the mistreatment of members of a protest movement.”
Background and Controversy
The case has drawn significant media attention in Austria, where the two Syrians applied for asylum in 2015. Senior Austrian officials suspected of protecting the former brigadier general were acquitted in 2023. Prosecutors had accused them of helping Halabi obtain sanctuary in Austria, citing an alleged agreement in May 2015 with Israel’s Mossad intelligence service. According to media reports, Mossad allegedly brought Halabi to Austria from France. When questioned, Halabi told the court he received help from his relatives. Halabi, a member of the Druze minority, fled Raqqa in 2013 just before the Daesh group overran the city and denied that torture occurred on his watch.
Broader Context
Former Syrian officials have also faced prosecution in France, Germany, Sweden, and Belgium for crimes allegedly committed during Syria’s civil war. This trial underscores the ongoing use of universal jurisdiction to hold perpetrators of war crimes accountable, even when the crimes occurred abroad.
