Inside the Alaa M. Trial #95: The Silent Killings of Tishreen
TRIAL OF ALAA M.
Higher Regional Court – Frankfurt, Germany
Trial Monitoring Summary #95
Hearing Date: January 28 & 30, 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 95th trial monitoring report details days 171 and 172 of the trial of Alaa M. in Frankfurt, Germany. On the first trial day, witness, P57, provided a detailed timeline of his time at Tishreen Military Hospital, emphasizing that he first encountered the Accused, Alaa M., on the second day. He described how detainees, shackled and defenseless, were injected with unknown substances, and how fear spread among them as deaths followed soon after. He recalled seeing syringes filled with different colored liquids, suspecting they contained heart medication. At one point, P57 raised his voice, pointing at the Accused, exclaiming: “This is the man I saw!” He also remembered the Accused laughing with guards after administering the injections. The session grew tense as the Defense challenged his testimony, leading to heated exchanges with Presiding Judge Koller. The Court also examined sketches drawn by the witness, depicting the hospital’s layout. Multiple breaks were required due to the emotional weight of the proceedings.
On the second day, P57’s testimony continued, revealing further harrowing details. As a former Syrian military officer, P57 had been imprisoned for refusing orders to fire on civilians. He described the brutal conditions at Tishreen Military Hospital, where detainees were stripped, beaten, and forced into labor — even when too weak to stand. According to the witness, medical staff, including the Accused, actively participated in the abuse, administering lethal injections that initially appeared to be medical treatment but were, in fact, used for executions. At one point, P57 turned to the Accused and sarcastically thanked him for merely beating him instead of killing him. P57’s testimony was deeply emotional — he broke down in tears, and even the interpreter had to pause, overwhelmed by the distressing accounts.
Day 171 – January 28, 2025
The first session of the week began with administrative matters, as Presiding Judge Koller addressed the Defense Counsel regarding pending submissions. Koller further read a motion provided by the legal representative of [redacted name], P57, requesting access to police questioning records due to the witness’s frustration that he had missed to mention specific details related to a dental condition during the previous statement. Judge Koller stressed the need for procedural efficiency and urged the Defense Counsel to submit any outstanding evidentiary motions.
Following these preliminary discussions, the Court resumed questioning P57. Judge Koller acknowledged the emotional strain of testifying but emphasized the necessity of revisiting certain details for clarity.
A pivotal focus was establishing a clear timeline of the three critical days P57 testified to have spent at Tishreen Military Hospital. The Judges sought confirmation of the chronological sequence:
The first day: Transfer from Sednaya prison to Tishreen Military Hospital. The second day: Removal of bodies and the presence of a doctor administering injections. The third day: The witness being taken to the emergency unit for "examination."
The witness clarified previous statements, emphasizing that "nothing happened on the first day." He explained that on the second day, detainees were shackled with foot chains and brought to the emergency unit early in the morning before being returned to the security section. It was then that he first encountered the Accused, Alaa M., who began administering injections. The procedure was repeated the following day. However, P57 could not recall whether he was sent back to Sednaya on the third or fourth day, stating: "On the first day, nothing relevant to this case occurred."
***
[25-minute break]
***
The discussion then shifted to an individual previously mentioned by the witness. This person had informed him that prisoners transferred from Sednaya in poor condition would not survive. Judge Koller asked: "Did this person explain why they believed that?"
P57 responded: "As I told the BKA before, he mentioned several things, including that statement. He visited Tishreen two or three times."
When asked whether this individual had commented on Alaa M., P57 described the atmosphere of fear in the hospital’s security section. He recalled: "I tried to convey the level of fear and panic inside the cell. I do not think you can imagine how terrified we were."
Judge Koller then pressed for a physical description of the doctor administering the injections and asked: "At the time you saw him, you did not know his name. Were there any distinctive features by which you recognized him?"
P57 replied: "When I was in that situation, the last thing on my mind was memorizing his features. What I focused on was what the other prisoner had told me — that people do not survive here."
The Court reviewed police questioning records, which indicated that before knowing the Accused’s name, the witness had identified him based on physical traits. P57 confirmed that officers had asked about specific identifying marks but could not recall his responses, and added, "I do not remember what I answered."
***
[32-minute break]
***
The session continued with further questioning about the Accused’s physical characteristics, the nature of the injections, and the behavior of the medical personnel. P57 described the physical deterioration of fellow detainees, noting that many had lost significant weight and exhibited clear signs of mistreatment. He recalled that some prisoners had long, deformed toenails, others had none at all, and some burn marks from cigarettes.
The discussion then turned to the syringes used. P57 testified to having seen pre-filled syringes with different colored liquids. He observed that when the injections were administered, detainees showed no reaction and died within minutes. He speculated that the injections contained heart medication but was unsure. Judge Rhode asked whether the doctor had inspected or shaken the syringes before use, to which the witness replied that he had merely removed the caps and proceeded with the injections.
At one point, as P57 recounted his experiences, he raised his voice and pointed at the Accused, exclaiming in Arabic: "This is the man I saw!" He recalled the Accused laughing with the guards shortly after administering the injections.
***
[68-minute break]
***
The Court then examined sketches drawn by the witness depicting the layout of the hospital and detention areas. The discussion became increasingly tense as the Defense challenged aspects of the testimony, leading to heated exchanges between Presiding Judge Koller and Defense Counsel Endres.
The proceedings were adjourned at 3:45 PM.
The next trial day will be on January 30, 2025, at 10:00 AM.
Day 172 – January 30, 2025
The second hearing continued with the testimony of P57, a former Syrian military officer who was imprisoned after refusing orders to fire on civilians. His testimony provided further insight into the conditions inside Sednaya Prison and Tishreen Military Hospital, where he endured extreme mistreatment.
Upon arrival at Tishreen, P57 and other detainees were subjected to immediate physical abuse. He described being stripped, beaten, and forced to sleep on blankets soaked with bodily fluids. The facility was overcrowded, and the air was thick with the stench of decay. According to P57, medical staff, including the Accused, played an active role in the systematic mistreatment of prisoners.
The witness explained that detainees were not identified by [redacted information] but were instead [redacted information], which were either [redacted information]. He initially recalled being given the [redacted information], though in a previous police statement, he had stated [redacted information]. He attributed this discrepancy to the passage of time and the psychological strain he endured.
P57 recalled his first morning at Tishreen, when he witnessed detainees being injected with an unknown substance. Moments later, their lifeless bodies were wrapped in plastic bags and removed. Initially, some prisoners believed these injections were medical treatments, but P57 soon realized they were executions. “They are not treating us — they are killing us,” he recalled a fellow prisoner whispering. He identified the Accused as one of the doctors administering these fatal injections.
***
[15-minute break]
***
Upon the return from the break, the witness explained that forced labor was another brutal reality at Tishreen. He recounted that even detainees who were too weak to stand were forced to carry heavy loads, often collapsing under the strain. Guards responded with beatings using green plastic water pipes, metal rods, and police batons. P57 was assigned to move bodies, a task that made him acutely aware of the high number of deaths occurring daily. He described one fellow detainee who underwent surgery without anesthesia, a practice that detainees linked to the Accused.
At one point, P57 turned to the Accused and said: “I thank you, Alaa M., for not giving me the death injection — only for kicking and beating me.” His words lingered in the courtroom.
***
[15-minute break]
***
After the break, the focus shifted to the role of medical staff in the systematic abuse. P57 confirmed that prisoners initially believed the injections were meant for treatment. However, he and others later realized that those who received them never returned. The realization became undeniable when detainees were ordered to place bodies into sacks.
P57 detailed the beatings he endured, recalling that they became so frequent that individual incidents blurred together. He described medical procedures performed without anesthesia, including amputations and other surgeries. While he could not always remember specific details, he confirmed hearing of a prisoner who underwent an appendectomy without anesthesia and later died after receiving an injection.
The Defense questioned discrepancies between P57's police statements and his courtroom testimony. It focused on inconsistencies in his recollection of prisoner numbers and the sequence of events at Tishreen. P57 acknowledged minor lapses but insisted that they did not change the fundamental truth of his experience.
As the session neared its conclusion, P57 described the haunting cries of detainees that were abruptly silenced each night. “The screams never stopped. Every night, I woke up to the sound of bodies being dragged away,” he said. Turning toward the Accused, he reaffirmed his certainty that he had seen him oversee and conduct fatal injections multiple times.
Presiding Judge Koller acknowledged the emotional weight of P57’s testimony and expressed appreciation for his willingness to recount such traumatic events. Overwhelmed, P57 broke down in tears. His testimony also affected the interpreter, Mr. Farrag, who momentarily had to pause before being able to continue.
The proceedings were adjourned at 1:48 PM.
The next trial day will be on February 4, 2025, at 10:00 AM.
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