Crimes in Syria

Historic trial against “torture general” in Vienna

Amid international media attention, the accused “torture general” is brought in from pretrial detention.(Bild: Zwefo)

This has never happened before in Austria: Two former supporters of the Syrian Assad regime are standing trial before a jury in the Landl. They are accused of ordering the brutal torture of prisoners in Syrian jails between 2011 and 2013—and in some cases, of carrying out the torture themselves. They now face prison sentences in Vienna. The defense, however, warns against collective punishment.

“Today we are opening a new chapter in the history of criminal law in Austria,” the prosecutor begins in the Vienna Regional Court. For we have never seen anything like this before. Sitting in the dock in Courtroom 103 are two alleged supporters of the Syrian Assad regime who are accused of having abused and tortured dozens of prisoners there during the civil war in Syria. They arrived in Austria as refugees in 2015. 

“Everyday Life in Syrian Detention Centers”
In Vienna, they are now to be held accountable for these alleged crimes: “From a global perspective, this is a small contribution to criminal justice accountability. It was well known in Europe that torture took place in Syrian detention centers,” says the prosecutor. He goes on to explain in great detail the military structures of the Syrian secret service and criminal police at the time. “We view violence here as an institutional tool. That was everyday life in Syrian detention centers.”

General and First Lieutenant as Commanders
What does that mean specifically? The first defendant, a 63-year-old, held the rank of general and was the head of the General Intelligence Service in the Syrian city of Ar-Raqqa. The second defendant, a 54-year-old, was the head of the criminal police at the time, holding the rank of first lieutenant. In these positions, they allegedly had countless opponents of the regime tortured by guards during interrogations in the office building.

The prosecutor speaks of kicks with military boots, beatings with sticks, electric shock devices, and more. An 18-year-old man is said to have been sexually abused. “This was done on the instructions of the interrogators. The witnesses will describe this in detail,” said the prosecutor. In the coming weeks, the tortured detainees are scheduled to testify in person. 

The two individuals are not sitting here as representatives of an entire regime. We do not practice collective punishment.

Anwalt Philipp Wolm verteidigt den angeklagten Oberleutnant.

Bild: kw-anwaelte.com

“We will not deny the victims’ suffering,” says defense attorney Timo Gerersdorfer. He is defending the former general. “This trial deals with the darkest chapter in Syrian history. But we are not here to pass judgment on the crimes of the Assad regime.” Rather, the focus is on the individual charges against the two defendants. And those had nothing to do with the cruel torture of detainees.

I didn’t see a single protester with injuries.

Aussage des angeklagten „Foltergenerals“

“I personally had sympathy for the demonstrators,” says the 63-year-old general before the jury court. Because he was not an Assad supporter. His lawyer, Timo Gerersdorfer, even emphasizes that his client helped the Free Syrian Army in a largely peaceful takeover of the city of Ar-Raqqa. “If he was so close to the regime, why didn’t he stay there? Why did he flee to Austria?” Gerersdorfer asks. “He also did not condone torture,” the lawyer states. The first defendant—who is currently in pretrial detention—says: “I didn’t see a single protester with injuries.” He claims he always immediately stopped any violence.

State Security Brought “Torture General” to Vienna
In 2015, the accused “torture general” finally arrived in Austria, with the support of the state security service at the time. As part of an agreement with a friendly foreign intelligence service, the man was brought to Vienna and helped to obtain asylum—the so-called “Operation White Milk.” In a trial for abuse of office, the officials were acquitted. However, the alleged main perpetrator, former BVT department head Martin Weiss, remains beyond the reach of the justice system.

A total of 13 trial days are scheduled through June 30. An extensive presentation of evidence is expected. As the defense attorney for the second defendant, Philipp Wolm, notes: “The only thing we have are the witness statements.” Both Syrians face up to ten years in prison.