Inside the Alaa M. Trial #102: Between Persecution and Propaganda
TRIAL OF ALAA M.
Higher Regional Court – Frankfurt, Germany
Trial Monitoring Summary #102
Hearing Date: April 3, 2025
CAUTION: Some testimony includes descriptions of torture.
Note that this summary is not a verbatim transcript of the trial; it is merely an unofficial summary of the proceedings.
Throughout this summary, [information located in brackets are notes from our trial monitor] and “information placed in quotes are statements made by the witness, judges or counsel.” The names and identifying information of witnesses have been redacted.
[Note: SJAC continues to provide a summary of the proceedings while redacting certain details to protect witness privacy and to preserve the integrity of the trial.]
SJAC’s 102nd trial monitoring report details day 181 of the trial of Alaa M. in Frankfurt, Germany. At the beginning of the session, the resettlement interview which Plaintiff P8 gave to UNHCR in [redacted location] in 2015 was partially read out. He had been working as a [redacted information], staying for about two weeks at a time. He described recurring house searches during large-scale raids in 2011 when rebels arrived in his city and clashes broke out. In one attack, his son, who had been outside during the clashes, was shot in [redacted information]. The boy was taken to two hospitals and then hidden with friends, as injured men from their hometown were reportedly being arrested and killed. The family, P8 together with his wife, children, mother, and sister-in-law, fled multiple times: after rebels arrived, they moved through several towns and cities, stayed briefly with acquaintances, were expelled, and eventually fled again. The interview showed P8’s and his family’s years of instability, fear, and hardship.
Later in the session, attention turned to the Accused’s Facebook activity. Posts and comments from 2011 to 2014 revealed extreme loyalty to the Assad regime. In one of the most striking comments, Alaa M. wrote: “Yes, to al-Assad! Yes, to field executions for every traitor! Yes, to the mass destruction of terrorism!” Other posts glorified Assad as “the boss and lord of the universe” and celebrated having smashed the bowl over Obama’s head. M.’s online presence was marked by violent rhetoric, threats, and celebration of the regime’s power.
Day 181 – April 3, 2025
At the beginning of the session, the closing statements of all parties as well as the verdict were discussed.
After that, the linguistic expert Birgit Kühn, P10, was called to the witness stand. Mrs. Kühn translated and read out the transcripts of a resettlement interview with P8 conducted by UNHCR in [redacted location] in 2015. After conducting an interview with P8 on [redacted time], 2020, the [redacted information] State Prosecutor for Special Crime shared the transcript, withholding any personal data.
The interview was divided into several sections:
1. Case-related data
a. Case number: [redacted information]
b. Name: [redacted information]
2. Personal data
a. Born on [redacted information]
b. Profession: [redacted information]
c. Survivor of violence/ torture
d. Registered in [redacted information]
e. Military Service: [redacted information]
The resettlement interview conducted by the UNHCR detailed P8’s grounds for receiving refugee status in [redacted location]. P8, the applicant completed his [redacted information] between [redacted information]. During this time, he was assigned [redacted information]; prisoners were never part of his duties. The applicant had [redacted information] and did not take part in [redacted information].
[Note: Information in (parentheses) are redacted by the [redacted information] Prosecutor, information in [brackets] are additional redactions by SJAC]. He and his wife lived in (redacted information). He had been working as [redacted information], usually staying for about two weeks at a time.
During large-scale raids, soldiers searched his house in [redacted location] and left. In one attack, his son, who was outside the house during the clashes, was shot by a bullet [redacted information]. He was first taken to [redacted information] in [redacted location] and later transferred to [redacted information] in [redacted information]. Following medical advice, the boy was referred to stay with friends, as injured men from their town were reportedly being arrested and killed.
After the arrival of rebels, clashes broke out in [redacted location] in October 2011. The applicant and his family thus moved to (redacted information), where the applicant and (redacted information) were arrested, and the house was searched again. Subsequently, the family fled to [redacted information], then to [redacted information] to stay with acquaintances, but were displaced and moved on to [redacted information], where they stayed for approximately one month. Eventually, together with his mother, sister-in-law, wife, and children, they fled to [redacted location], continuing their flight on [redacted time], 2012, via the border crossing [redacted information].
The interview record further detailed that the applicant feared for the life of his family if returned to Syria, particularly due to the risk of being perceived as an opponent of the government in his hometown.
Regarding the legal analysis, the applicant's fear was considered well-founded, supported by the UNHCR, which concluded that the applicant met the eligibility criteria for refugee status based on his [redacted information]. UNHCR further argued that there was no realistic prospect of a voluntary return to Syria. The applicant and his family lived in [redacted location] under precarious living conditions. It recognized that the applicant was unable to find regular employment whilst being the sole provider for his family, his sister-in-law, and her children.
According to the transcript, the UNHCR then argued that the applicant should be considered for resettlement in a third country. It explained that he was previously imprisoned for one month, during which he was beaten with cables and subjected to electric shocks. His brother died as a result of similar abuse, and the applicant suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The UNHCR concluded that both legal and psychological protection needs exist. The situation in [redacted location] had further significantly worsened: The applicant had experienced harassment and threats by local people, mainly due to tensions between religious groups. These tensions were further exacerbated by the large number of Syrian refugees in the country. Relations between [redacted information] and Syrians remained difficult due to historical factors.
In addition, the applicant was faced with two options to extend his six-month residence permit: He was obligated to either return to Syria and re-enter [redacted location] through the official border crossing (his first permit had expired on [redacted time]), or pay a renewal fee (which he was unable to pay due to his precarious situation).
In the transcript, the resettlement priority was marked as urgent. The UNHCR submitted the applicant’s case accordingly. His sister-in-law was classified as “at risk”. Due to her status as a single mother without a male spouse, the UNHCR strongly supported a joint resettlement as she was highly dependent on a male provider. The transcript further detailed that their case had already been submitted to the [redacted location] in [redacted time], but the [redacted information] authorities rejected the request due to a lack of integration prospects. Attached to the application were the signed declaration page, ID cards of the applicant and his wife, the applicant’s passport, his family booklet, and his [redacted information].
After reading the translation of the interview, Mrs. Kühn was dismissed without being sworn in and a break issued.
[25-minutes break]
Upon return from the break, additional translated Facebook chats of the Accused were read out in court.
On January 17, 2012, the chat titled “128 – [redacted name]” detailed a message sent by Alaa M. “Misso, Nashoub is talking here. (…) I am very content with my work, I moved to Damascus two months ago. I am working in Tishreen hospital.” The following day he continued: “Hi Mneso, how are you? Did you know that we broke up, [redacted name] [For more background on the person Alaa M. was referring to, please see Trial Report #99.] and I?” In the subsequent course of the conversation, the Accused and [redacted name] spoke about the breakup between Alaa M. and his previous girlfriend.
After that, the focus of the session shifted from individual chat partners to a category on his Facebook page titled: “Your posts, check-ins and videos.” On April 17, 2014, Alaa M. went live and posted: “Syria is a symbol of pride and glory.” On June 7, 2014, he wrote: “Al-Assad has won the global war… statement of the former French Minister of Foreign Affairs.” On June 4, 2014, he posted a new photo on his wall with the caption: “Congratulations, you the great, you are our leader, only you represent us, no one else” [Note: On June 4, 2014, Bashar Al-Assad allegedly won the elections in Syria. The former post was likely a congratulation to Bashar Al-Assad by Alaa M.] Another photo followed on August 13, 2014 with a quote: “One of the most beautiful things Imam Ali said about patience.” On April 18, 2014, he shared: “Picture of my stinky finger. For all those who wanted Assad's fall. I hope you get impaled.” Earlier, on December 25, 2011, Alaa M. had shared a page saying: “My country is bleeding, my country is wounded. Heaven is crying and shouts at your birth: Oh Christ, protect Assad’s Syria.”
After the posts, check-ins and videos, the translated “comments” section was reviewed. On January 7, 2012, Alaa M. commented: “It is done with the energy of the lions as well as coercion and military boots.” On January 20, 2012, the Accused posted: “But with soul and blood we sacrifice ourselves for you, oh Bashar.” On February 4, 2012, he further wrote: “Dandan, don’t you want to see my picture with the boss and lord of the universe, Dr. Bashar, the manliest guy in the world, they are going to give it to me in the next days.” Two years later, on January 29, 2014, he commented: “But the truth is we smashed the bowl over Obama's head (victory for Assad).” Followed by “May your morning be assadic [i.e. lion-like, referring to Al-Assad].” on February 28, 2014.
Moreover, read out by Judge Adlhoch, Alaa M. wrote on April 8, 2014: “Long live the Baath and long live al-Assad, because he is the source of the Baath [i.e. the awakening/resurrection].” On April 22, 2014, the Accused praised Assad: “Bashar al-Assad for all eternity, by God, by God, with blood and soul, I sacrifice myself for you, oh Great One.” Two days later, on April 24, 2014, Alaa M. posted: “I won't vote for anyone but you... even if they burn me with fire... Assad for all eternity.”
From May 2014 onwards, posts by the Accused became more violent: On May 8, 2014, M. commented: “Together with al-Assad, conqueror of the filthy Arabs!” On June 3, 2014, referring to the uprising, M. shared: “The flier, the Syrian eagle, flies over Daria and votes. God willing, we, great voices, will be delivered from the pigs of the fawra [note: meaning, outburst/flurry; it is a pejorative word for the Arabic word “thawra” meaning, uprising, used by the regime supporters.]” In addition, on September 22, 2014, M. commented: “President al-Assad, during the visit to Hospital 601, may God keep you as a treasure.” Another comment read: “Yes, to al-Assad! Yes, to field executions for every traitor! Yes, to the mass destruction of terrorism!” The last post read on this trial day, which was shared by Alaa M. on Facebook as early as October 29, 2011, provided: “May God not grant them success, a nation of donkeys and pigs, they should be burned in the oven.”
After these insightful chats and posts into Alaa M.’s regime loyalty, the Judges turned to additional documents, ordering the self-reading procedure. The documents included:
1) the minutes of the police questioning of P8 from 2020, as well as the P8’s questioning transcripts from October 10, 11, 18, and 20, 2023
2) the police interview transcript with P4 from June 23, 2020, from July 11, 12, and 26, 2020, and from October 3, 2024
3) the asylum interview transcripts of P1 by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) dated May 3, 5, 9, 17, and 24, 2022
The parties to the proceedings unanimously agreed to the self-reading procedure for these documents.
The proceedings were adjourned at 12:37 PM.
The next trial day will be on April 29, 2025, 10:00 AM.
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