France begins trial in absentia for Damascus govt officials
Today in the French capital, Paris, the trial of three senior officials in the Damascus government begins in absentia, including Ali Mamlouk, the security advisor to the Damascus government, on charges of “complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes.”
Today, the first trial in France of three senior officials in the Damascus government, on charges of “complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes” before the Paris Criminal Court over a period of four days, for their role in the killing of two French-Syrians.
The long-running case revolves around the disappearance and death of Mazen al-Dabbagh and his son Patrik, who were arrested by members of the Air Force Intelligence Department in the Damascus government in November 2013.
This is the first time that a Damascus government official who is still in office has been tried “on charges of committing war crimes.”
None of the three defendants will appear in court, in a trial scheduled to last four days. Ali Mamlouk, one of the officers accused of complicity in their disappearance and torture, is still working in the Syrian security services as a security advisor to Bashar al-Assad, and the other 2 are Jamil Hassan, the former director of the Air Force Intelligence Department, and Abd al- Salam Mahmoud, the former director of the investigation branch of the administration.
ANHA
