Inside the Alaa M. Trial #103: A Tale of Fiction and Memoir from the Syrian Uprising

TRIAL OF ALAA M.

Higher Regional Court – Frankfurt, Germany

Trial Monitoring Summary #103

Hearing Date: April 29, 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 103rd trial monitoring report details day 182 of the trial of Alaa M. in Frankfurt, Germany. Today’s session focused on the summary of the book [redacted information], which Mr. Farrag had translated and read in full for the hearing. Described as a blend of fiction and memoir, the book tells the story of the Syrian uprising through the perspective of a grandfather recently released from prison, alongside the memoirs of the late father of a child born in exile. The author details scenes from military hospitals like [redacted information], where torture and prisoner deaths were routine. Farrag confirmed that several names in the book — including doctors and Shabiha members — could be relevant to the case. He also noted that the author’s hometown, [redacted location], faced siege and mass disappearances due to its location among regime-loyal villages. Following a short break, Judge Rhode introduced an online article from Zaman al-Wasl that corroborated Mr. Farrag’s testimony and identified [redacted name] as the author. According to the article, [redacted name]’s novel drew directly from his experience in regime-controlled hospitals, including witnessing brutal torture, denial of treatment, and mass disappearances.

The session then turned to the Accused, who was questioned about possible links to individuals, including [redacted name] and [redacted name]. The Accused confirmed some past connections but denied any current contact. The Court also reviewed several of the Accused’s Facebook chats from late 2011 to early 2012, which ranged from casual or flirtatious exchanges to deeply disturbing messages referencing mutilated bodies, gunshot victims and crude jokes about violence. In conclusion, the Presiding Judge addressed procedural matters and confirmed that certain evidentiary issues had already been addressed in previous hearings. 

Day 182 – April 29, 2025

At the beginning of this session, Mr. Farrag, the court interpreter and linguistic expert, was called to read out the translation of a book written by [redacted name]. Since Mr. Farrag testified about the entire book, he was legally instructed by the Presiding Judge and testified in his capacity as a linguistic expert on the Arabic language.

Mr. Farrag noted that he had read the entire book. The Presiding Judge asked him to summarize its general content and to indicate whether there were any references to the Accused. According to Mr. Farrag, the book, titled “[redacted information]”, is divided into two parts. The first part is rather fictional in style and tells the story of a grandfather and his grandson, who was born in exile. The grandson’s father, as described in the narrative, lost his life in a field hospital.

In response to the Presiding Judge’s question as to whether the book was fictional or documentary in nature, Mr. Farrag explained that, while not a documentary, it is nonetheless based on real events and actual people from the author’s home region.

Farrag continued by explaining that the second part of the book consisted of the late father’s memoirs, addressing topics such as the siege of his home village and accounts of torture in military hospitals, particularly in Homs. The author also described his own escape and his call to the Valley of the Christians, as his Sunni village — besieged under the regime's so-called “reconciliation pact” — was surrounded by Christian villages, most of which supported the regime.

Upon request by the Court, Mr. Farrag selected the passages that could be relevant to the proceedings. For this purpose, excerpts from the book were displayed via the screens in the courtroom and examined, beginning with the book cover. Defense Counsel Bonn asked Mr. Farrag whether the book included any reference to what the cover showed, which Mr. Farrag denied. The book cover shows a blurred image of Krak des Chevaliers castle in the background, with barbed wire positioned between the viewer and the castle.

According to Mr. Farrag, the first passage examined (page 12) had no direct reference to the trial but was considered relevant due to its date:

The grandfather tells his grandson about the storming of the [redacted location] on [redacted time], 2012 – a decisive day. The revolutionaries defended the site. On that day, “your father decided to leave his job at the hospital and go to the village.” In the book, the father was working as a resident doctor in [redacted information].

Judge Rhode then interjected, noting that the author must have treated wounded Syrian army soldiers on a daily basis in his capacity as a resident doctor.

Turning to page 71, Mr. Farrag pointed to a passage about [redacted name], who had frequently met with his closest confidants, the [redacted name] cousins and Alaa M., at the military police department, and who were seen by the author sitting together in front of the military police prison.

Focusing on page 80, the protagonist described how he left the [redacted information] in [redacted time], intending to continue his work at another hospital in [redacted location]. However, the bloodshed in his village prevented him from doing so. The blood, the screams of children, and the horrors committed by the al-Assad regime made any form of specialized medical training meaningless.

According to the book, the father wrote his memoirs on [redacted time], in [redacted location].

Judge Kriewald asked Mr. Farrag whether he had any insights beyond the literary text regarding the author’s background and sources. Mr. Farrag replied that the online version of the book contained no information about the author and that it had been very difficult to get hold of the book.

***

[15-minutes break]

***

After the break, Judge Rhode resumed the session and mentioned that he had found an article in the [redacted information]. According to the article, it is a novel telling the story of 112 people who disappeared from the village of [redacted location].

Mr. Farrag speculated that the author could be [redacted name], based on the book, the website, and the photo.

Mr. Farrag then translated the Arabic article from [redacted information], a novel [redacted information], recounts the events since the beginning of the revolution in the village of [redacted location] and describes the regime’s response with explosions and criminal acts, starting at [redacted information]. He witnessed torture and killings unimaginable for any human being, and prisoners who were captured and tortured despite the peaceful nature of the revolution.

The article also covers the escape from this place to the [redacted information], which the author called “dying and fleeing (الموت والهروب)”. Many then disappeared from the city of [redacted location] after the regime promised the people a peaceful solution.

The author originally comes from the [redacted location], was born in [redacted time], studied [redacted information] and began his [redacted information]. He witnessed firsthand the abuse and brutality committed by the doctors, staff and employees against the injured demonstrators who were supposed to receive medical treatment.

According to the article, the author referred to this hospital as the “infamous hospital.” After some time, he was transferred to [redacted information] Hospital in [redacted location] but did not continue his specialist training. Instead, he returned to his village and, together with colleagues, set up a [redacted information] until he [redacted information]. The author lost his parents, his brother-in-law’s wife, his own pregnant wife, and many others who left the village due to an alleged reconciliation with the regime. This “reconciliation pact” had been announced through religious figures. In the nearby village of Deir Mar Gerges (دىر مار جرجس), 112 elderly people and children disappeared. The author of the book was forcibly taken with a group of fighters across neighboring villages to the [redacted information] border.

The article by [redacted information] detailed that [redacted name] wrote down his experiences and thoughts. His father was a [redacted information] teacher, and [redacted name] wanted to write about the Syrian revolution and the horrors of the regime. In [redacted information], the author began writing in [redacted time]. In the first part, the author imagined his father being released from prison as part of a prisoner exchange — the only fictional part, according to Mr. Farrag. The father then went to the “Returnee (عائدون)” camp, where he met his grandson and recounted the events.

The second part contained the author’s memoirs from the [redacted information] and the [redacted information], describing harsh conditions such as starvation and the disappearance of many people as part of a so-called “reconciliation.” The author drew a historical parallel to “العهدة العمرية” (Omar’s Assurance) from the early Islamic period, when Caliph Omar Ibn al-Khattab (عمر بن الخطاب) guaranteed security and religious freedom to Christians in Jerusalem.

Many families disappeared, which the author described as a “black hole.” To this day, their fate remains unknown. [Redacted name] mentioned that these experiences and events were very painful. His aim was to document the crimes of starvation, siege, and other atrocities. According to [redacted information], the author chose the title “[redacted information]” because the regime adopted siege tactics from other dictatorships beyond imagination – no medicine, no bread, no basic necessities.

The article also referred to the author naming members of Ad-Difa' al-Watani الدفاع الوطني [i.e. National Defense Forces] and the Shabiha who committed crimes:

• [redacted name], a Shabiha member who made a religious declaration.
• Name of a member of the Shabiha: [redacted name]
• Journalist [redacted name]
• Doctors: [redacted names]; Hospital director: [redacted name]

According to Farrag’s reading of the book, what made [redacted name]’s town different from other insurgent areas was the intensity of the bombing, violence, and terror carried out by the regime in all its forms.

According to Mr. Farrag, two particular aspects appeared significant: First, the Valley of the Christians and the villages stretching from there toward Homs and further inland to the coast — a total of 85 villages — were loyal to the regime. This led to increased pressure and food shortages in [redacted location]. Second, after the road to the village of Az-Zara (الزارة) was hit by artillery and by Shabiha shelling, it became apparent that only the regime-loyal villages were spared from the regime’s “green zones” and deceptive tactics — unlike other, oppositional villages.

Following his testimony, Mr. Farrag was dismissed without being sworn in.

The Presiding Judge then read out a request for mutual legal assistance addressed to the [redacted location] regarding [redacted name] and P15 from April 2025 as well as the questioning policy from 2019. Judge Koller further noted that the Accused was able to understand the certificate without the assistance of an interpreter.

Afterwards, Judge Rhode asked the Accused about his health, as he appeared to be in pain. Alaa M. replied that he was experiencing abdominal pain radiating to his shoulder and back. It was not due to constipation, and according to an ultrasound, there were no signs of obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract. However, he constantly felt nauseous. He was not taking any painkillers and had no current diagnosis. He added that kidney stones had been detected during an MRI in 2018.

Judge Rhode continued his questioning and wanted to know whether the Accused still had private contacts in Syria, for example with the lawyer Alaa M.'s father had contact with. The Accused explained that he knew the lawyer personally. Judge Rhode asked whether that also applied to [redacted name]. The Accused confirmed and said that he had known him before his arrest, in 2015, in Sheikh Sa'd شيخ سعد near 601 al-Mazzeh Military Hospital.

Judge Rhode then inquired whether the Accused also knew [redacted name]. The Accused replied that he had not heard anything further about him after leaving the Military Hospital. Judge Rhode emphasized the name and asked whether the Accused knew any other person named [redacted name]. The Accused responded that the name was very common and mentioned that there had been both an [redacted name] and an [redacted name] at the 601 Hospital — one working as an orthopedic surgeon, the other in internal medicine. Judge Rhode asked whether the Accused had been in contact with [redacted name]. The Accused said that they have had a collegial relationship, perhaps exchanged a few phone calls, but nothing more.

Finally, Judge Rhode wanted to know whether the Accused had met the same [redacted name] again — the one whose photo had been shown in court — possibly in Tartus. The Accused denied this, claiming that he had not seen [redacted name] after leaving Hospital 601 and had never worked with him again.

The Presiding Judge then announced that the Facebook chats with Tony Azar [note: the family name was heard as Adha / Adham], [redacted name], and [redacted name] from Tartus would now be read out in more detail.

Selected contacts from the Accused’s mobile phone were read out as well.

• Tony Azar (There were two of them, one was a lawyer, the other a broker for certificates/passports)
• [Redacted name]: [redacted information]
• [Redacted name] Tartus: [redacted information]

The Accused then noted that his contact “Ali Hasan” was certainly not the person Judge Rhode was referring to. Alaa M. described him as an Alawite and noted that Tartus — being located on the coast — was an Alawite region. The Accused reiterated that it was definitely not the person in question, as he had had no contact with him since leaving Homs.

The proceedings continued with the examination of additional Facebook chats of the Accused:

Between December 2011 and early 2012, several Facebook chats involving the Accused reflected mostly casual or one-sided communication. In a conversation with [redacted name], Alaa M. wrote on January 20, 2012, that he wanted to talk but could not find the time. A series of messages sent to [redacted name] on January 10, 2012, were friendly to flirtatious in tone, though they remained unanswered. Further chats with [redacted name] and [redacted name], as well as with [redacted name], were characterized by general small talk and appeared to be attempts to establish or maintain casual contact.

In chat “173 – [redacted name]” from January 2012, [redacted name] wrote: “I defiled his sister. Today, Homs was upset. The bitch sisters.” Alaa M. responded: “God willing, they will defile the people of [Jouret جورة] Ash-Shayyah الشياح [note: the name of the location was unclear to the Trial Monitor]. Today, we received 18 people with gunshot wounds from Az-Zabadani.” [Redacted name] replied: “That a cock will finish off your palate.”

In chat “35 – [redacted name]”, involving flirting, Alaa M. boasted about having been to England six times and completing an internship there. [Redacted name] wrote that she liked a doctor who had a human touch and asked if he had been living near the Mother of Light Church (Umm An-Nour أم النور). Alaa M. replied that he had brought mutilated and desecrated bodies from a mass grave near the Jisr Ash-Shughur جسر الشغور to the morgue. The flirtation continued with a conversation about relationship problems.

Finally, chat “45 – [redacted name],” from December 6, 2012 to January 23, 2012, mainly involved chatting and joking about friends and acquaintances.

The session continued with Judge Koller asking the Defense about possible evidentiary motions concerning the period between February 2, 2024, and April 5, 2024, and whether the Court could consider the matter settled. Defense Counsel Bonn affirmed.

The Presiding Judge then remarked that, from the point of view of the Court, nothing remained open for the session and asked whether the parties to the proceedings had further issues to address.

Defense Counsel Bonn pointed out that the chats between the Accused and his uncle, as well as those between the Accused and his wife, had already been read out on July 25, 2024, and are therefore no longer subject to further examination.

Judge Koller then closed the session by recognizing that there were no further motions for evidence. 

The proceedings were adjourned at 12:15 PM. 

The next trial day will be on May 15, 2025, at 10:00 AM