Inside the Alaa M. Trial #94: Doctors of Death in Syrian Military Hospitals: Distressing Witness Account

TRIAL OF ALAA M.

Higher Regional Court – Frankfurt, Germany

Trial Monitoring Summary #94

Hearing Date: January 21 & 23, 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 94th trial monitoring report details days 169 and 170 of the trial of Alaa M. in Frankfurt, Germany. On the first trial day, Chief Inspector Manuel Deußing testified about his previous questioning of P54, a Syrian doctor who had identified the Accused with absolute certainty. The session focused on the documentation of P54’s testimony, which included detailed sketches of military hospitals and descriptions of systematic abuse within these facilities. Deußing recalled P54 recounting seeing corpses arriving on trucks from conflict zones, observing the maltreatment of detainees, and encountering secret hospital sections restricted to regime loyalists. P54’s statements highlighted the systemic nature of these crimes and raised questions about the role of medical professionals in enabling human rights violations. The Court also reviewed photographic evidence and discussed the potential impact of media coverage on witness testimonies.

On the second day, the trial centered on the emotional and harrowing testimony of P57, a former detainee and Syrian military officer. P57 described being imprisoned after refusing orders to shoot civilians and was later transferred to Tishreen Military Hospital, where he endured extreme mistreatment. His testimony included horrific accounts of forced labor, violent beatings, and detainees being executed by lethal injections. He identified Alaa M. as a direct participant in these actions, recalling that the Accused personally administered fatal injections to detainees who were too weak to resist. The witness broke down in tears multiple times during his testimony, emphasizing that he would never forget the face of the Accused and the atrocities he had witnessed. The session was marked by deep emotional distress, leading to several breaks as both the witness and interpreter struggled to continue.

Day 169 – January 21, 2025

In the first session this week, the Chief Inspector at the German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), Manuel Deußing, was called as a witness, marking his tenth or eleventh appearance in the trial. Presiding Judge Koller formally instructed him on his duties as a witness before questioning him about his previous interview with P54, which had taken place approximately four and a half years earlier.

Deußing described the difficulty of the eight-and-a-half-hour questioning of P54 recalling that the witness frequently provided general answers, citing security concerns. Notably, the interview was conducted without an interpreter, yet there were no reported language barriers. Prosecutor General Haverkamp was present as the official recorder.

Judge Koller referenced the interview transcript, dated September 7, 2020. Despite the lengthy questioning, the transcript encompassed only 32 pages, as P54 had added handwritten notes and corrections, signing each page to verify accuracy. During the police questioning, P54 provided sketches of military hospitals in which he had worked and was shown photographs to identify individuals. Upon seeing the fifth image, he immediately recognized the Accused and stated, “I am one million percent sure!”

The Court then reviewed P54’s professional background with BKA officer Deußing. Born in [redacted time] in [redacted location], he had studied medicine in [redacted location] before returning to Syria, where he worked at the [redacted information] in Homs. Following the outbreak of the Syrian conflict, he was rotated among the military hospitals in Tishreen, al-Mazzeh, and Harasta.

According to Deußing, P54 detailed drastic changes in hospital operations after the war began. Deußing recalled P54 stating seeing trucks loaded with corpses arriving from Daraa, detainees being severely mistreated, and the existence of a secret hall in the basement of Tishreen Hospital, accessible only to Alawite or regime-loyal staff. In Harasta, P54 noted, detainees with minor injuries often died shortly after admission, later learning that unmarked [redacted information] injections were the cause. P54 further described how the treatment of detainees changed over time. Initially, some medical professionals hesitated to carry out mistreatment, but as the conflict continued, the abuse became systematic. P54 told the police that he had personally witnessed the Accused participating in beatings.

One particularly horrifying account described an instance where a prisoner, too weak to stand, was dragged by security personnel while Alaa M. struck him repeatedly with a medical instrument. When asked about the Accused by the police officer, P54 described Alaa M. as an arrogant and socially disconnected individual. He stated that Alaa M. participated in detainee beatings and once forced a thirsty detainee to drink an [redacted information] solution.

As the session concluded, the Judges deliberated on the consistency of P54’s testimony and its alignment with other witness testimonies. The Court emphasized the significance of his detailed recollections in establishing patterns of abuse within the military hospitals.

The proceedings were adjourned at 11:20 AM.

The next trial day will be on January 23, 2025, at 10:00 AM.

Day 170 – January 23, 2025

 The second hearing began with the testimony of [redacted name], P57, a former Syrian military officer who had been imprisoned for refusing orders to fire on civilians. His detailed and emotional account focused on the brutal conditions inside Sednaya Prison and Tishreen Military Hospital, where he was transferred due to deteriorating health.

Upon arrival at Tishreen, P57 and other detainees were subjected to extreme mistreatment. He described being brutally beaten, insulted, and forced to sleep on filthy blankets soaked with human waste. The systematic nature of the abuse was evident, and P57 emphasized that medical staff, including the Accused, actively participated in these practices.

During his first morning at Tishreen, P57 witnessed detainees being injected with an unknown substance, after which their lifeless bodies were wrapped in plastic bags and removed. He recounted the chilling realization that these so-called medical treatments were, in fact, systematic executions. He identified Alaa M. as one of the doctors responsible for administering these lethal injections, recalling that detainees would be forcibly restrained while the Accused injected them, after which they quickly lost consciousness and died.

At one point in his testimony, P57 broke down in tears, recalling a moment when he was ordered to clean the hospital yard. There, he saw piles of bodies being disposed of like garbage—a sight he described as permanently burned into his memory. "I will forget my mother, my father, my siblings—but this face, I will never forget!" he said, referring to Alaa M.

P57 also described forced labor among detainees, including the grim task of moving corpses and assisting medical staff in fatal procedures. Those already weak and injured were forced to lift heavy objects, and those who collapsed were either beaten or injected with lethal substances.

The session was marked by deep emotional distress, leading to several breaks as both the witness and interpreter struggled to continue.

 ***

[10-minute break]

***

As the testimony proceeded, P57 refused to refer to the Accused as a "doctor" and told the Court: "What kind of doctor does this? You must hand him over to the families of the murdered."

He stressed that Alaa M. had not only enabled these crimes but had actively taken part in them, performing procedures that directly led to the deaths of detainees. P57 further recounted the horror of nights at Tishreen Hospital, describing how: "The cries of the dying never stopped. Every night, I would wake up to the sound of screams and bodies being dragged away. I will hear those screams for the rest of my life."

When questioned by the Judges, P57 reaffirmed his identification of the Accused, adding that he had seen Alaa M. multiple times conducting and overseeing fatal injections.

The Court reviewed photographs, and P57 confidently pointed to the Accused as the man responsible for many of the hospital’s horrors.

At one point, Judge Koller addressed concerns raised by the Defense regarding media exposure, referencing reports from Zaman al-Wasl (زمان الوصل) and Der Spiegel. The Defense argued that these publications had influenced witness testimony, but P57 remained firm, claiming that his memories were independent of any reports and based solely on his direct experiences.

***

[32-minute break]

***

The testimony concluded with a tense exchange between the Defense and the witness. The Defense Counsel attempted to challenge inconsistencies in his earlier testimony, but P57 remained unwavering, stating: "I have nothing to gain by testifying. My only goal is to bring justice to the victims."

The proceedings were adjourned at 11:06 AM.

The next trial day will be on January 28, 2025, at 10:00AM.

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