The Hague sentences Syrian to 26 years for crimes against humanity

On Monday, The Hague Court, Netherlands, issued a 26-year prison sentence against a Syrian man named Rafiq al-Qatreeb, a member of the National Defense Forces militia affiliated with the Baathist regime, after convicting him of committing crimes against humanity against civilian detainees between 2013 and 2014.

The court found the defendant guilty of 19 crimes, including torture, rape, sexual violence, and cruel treatment against a number of detainees in three detention centers run by the National Defense Forces near the city of Salamiyah in the Hama countryside.

According to a statement published on the Dutch judiciary’s website, the evidence proved al-Qatreeb’s involvement in the torture of eight victims and in subjecting them to multiple forms of physical and psychological abuse, including beatings, electric shocks, suspension, forced stripping, as well as sexual assaults and the rape of one victim.

The court added that the defendant created an environment of terror, fear, and suffering inside the detention facilities, noting that victims’ testimonies showed that the psychological and physical effects of the abuses continue to affect them to this day.

At the same time, the court acquitted al-Qatreeb of certain charges related to one victim due to insufficient evidence proving his direct responsibility.

The court also stated that all victims had submitted claims for compensation for moral damages, but these claims were ruled inadmissible because the court lacked jurisdiction to consider them under the applicable legal framework.

The ruling is considered one of the most significant judgments issued in Europe against individuals accused of committing serious violations during the Syrian conflict, as part of judicial efforts aimed at prosecuting those involved in war crimes and crimes against humanity.

A-H 

ANHA