Inside the Mahmoud S. Trial #14: “Power Over People”
TRIAL OF MAHMOUD S.
Solna District Court – Stockholm, Sweden
Trial Monitoring Summary #14
Hearing Date: February 9, 10, and 12, 2026
CAUTION: Some testimony may include graphic descriptions of torture, rape or other violent acts.
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 provides a summary of the proceedings while redacting certain details to protect witness privacy and to preserve the integrity of the trial.]
Trial Monitoring reports of the Mahmoud S. trial are a result of a partnership between the Syria Justice and Accountability Centre, the University of Stockholm, Sweden, and the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT).
SJAC’s 14th trial monitoring report details days 40, 41, and 42 of the trial of Mahmoud S. in Stockholm, Sweden. This week, the Court heard testimony from W22, a former Yarmouk resident and electronics specialist, who described the Accused as connected to the Security Service and known in the camp for providing information on individuals, which led to their disappearance. W22 testified that the Accused was frequently present there despite holding no official role. He testified that his understanding of the Accused’s activities was partly based on information conveyed to him by F8, who was closely connected to the Security Service. W22 also recounted a direct threat made by the Accused during a prior encounter.
On day three of the trial week, the Court continued hearing testimony from witness W22, who recalled that the Accused had said he visited a checkpoint near 30th Street and al-Bashir Mosque during trips to Syria. W22 also described witnessing regime forces shooting protesters in 2012. The Court then heard testimony from a new witness. W23, a surgeon and mediator from Yarmouk, who described arrests, torture, and threats by regime-aligned actors and explained that Falastin Hurra helped control checkpoints and identify activists attempting to leave the camp. W23 did not know the Accused personally but said he had heard from others that the Accused was affiliated with Falastin Hurra and had allegedly threatened regime critics in Sweden.
Day 40 – February 9, 2026
Today, the Court heard testimony from witness [redacted name], W22, who appeared in court via video call. He was born in Yarmouk Camp in [redacted time] until he left on [redacted time]. He had his own company, while also working for the state on electronic devices. His shop was located on School street.
W22 remained in Yarmouk Camp, until, one night, masked men belonging to Jabhat al-Nusra (Al Nusra Front) and ISIS attempted to kidnap him, as they had received information that he was working for the government on communication devices, leading to accusations against him that he was surveilling them.
After the incident, he left for [redacted location], but was contacted by [redacted name] F8, and requested to make drones/unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the state. W22 had a relationship with F8 before he was contacted in [redacted location], through his work with electronic devices, in which he was known for in Yarmouk. F8 used to visit W22’s shop for wireless communication devices and cameras for surveillance and security. [Redacted name], F5, from Falastin Hurra (Free Palestine Movement) used to also visit the shop for surveillance devices.
W22 knew the Accused due to the small geographic proximity of the Yarmouk camp. The Accused was known for writing false reports [about people] to the intelligence service which often led to their disappearance. W22 heard about this through F8. He had also been threatened by the Accused himself once during a lunch at F8’s house, in which the Accused was talking badly about W22’s long hair, in which he told the Accused to be quiet and not to talk in such a way. The Accused had replied “you will not sleep at home tonight, but rather some place else that you will enjoy.” F8 had interfered and mentioned that W22 was a guest in his house.
***
[15-minutes-break]
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During the time when Tahrir al-Sham [HTS], the Free Syrian Army and armed groups were circling Yarmouk, the General Command and Security Services set up checkpoints around the camp. The armed individuals by the checkpoints belonged to the General Command.
[Redacted name], F6, was recruited and had friendly relations with F8 prior to the circumstances. There were rumours that he had beaten demonstrators. W22 noted seeing him with F8 after returning from [redacted location], and that they appeared together often, even on social media posts which he had seen around 2016-2017.
It was known that the Accused was against the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Until one day when one of his friends was killed on their way back to Yarmouk after a night out. The Accused blamed the armed groups for the killing and spoke to F8 about getting revenge. He might have even told W22 himself, the witness added. This incident changed the Accused stance on the regime, according to W22.
***
[15-minutes-break]
***
The Prosecutor then showed a picture, where W22 recognized most of the individuals and explained that this picture was taken after an operation by the border to Palestine, near the Golan-heights, where the group fired rockets on occupied Palestinian territory. F8 had told W22 about this operation. He identified [note: the following numbers correspond to those shown in the image used during the session to identify the individuals depicted] (5) [redacted name], F5; (2) Mahmoud S., the Accused; (3) Moafak D.; (7) [redacted name], F32; (9) Jihad A. [Accused in Koblenz, Germany]; (10) [redacted name], F8; (6) [redacted name], F33, (1) Sameer S. [Accused in Koblenz, Germany]; (12) the bodyguard of F5. The witness also recognized the person in picture no. (4), but could not recall his name.
When W22 returned from [redacted location], he saw the checkpoints by the Bashir Mosque from afar but never passed them. The buildings behind the checkpoints were taken over by the Security Service and used for protection. The buildings north of the mosque across the street, to the south and east of the mosque were identified as controlled buildings.
***
[65-minutes-break]
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Since coming to [redacted location] in [redacted time], W22 has had limited contact with the Accused and was invited to visit. They have spoken on the phone around two or three times where the Accused used to complain over the armed security situation back in Yarmouk, and sympathised with F8 and the government.
W22 confirmed that the Accused was seen armed by the security checkpoint. He never had an official role or title, but was associated through his connections. He was known for his connection to the Security Service by providing information on people. This is also something that was confirmed on social media. F8 also confirmed that the Accused used to often go to the checkpoint to pass time, according to W22. The Prosecution had no further questions.
The Plaintiffs’ Counsel then referred to the picture of the group and the operation in Golan-heights, asking whether this operation led to any uncertainties or protests in Yarmouk camp. There were no uncertainties as a result of the operation, the witness recalled. This group performed two operations, and the one associated with the specific photo was the operation of rockets against occupied Palestinian territory.
The Defense Counsel then referred to the picture asking how the witness perceived the Accused presence in this image. W22 explained that it is a type of display from the Accused where he could show off his connection, which this was very typical of his character. The Defense Counsel continued and asked if the image proved that the Accused was a part of the operations and fired the rockets. W22 explained that no one present in the picture had any experience with firing rockets, and the only one in the group with that experience was the officer who was not present in the photo. Rather, this image showed the connection to F8 and F5 who were famous, the witness added.
W22 frequently referred to “armed groups” in his testimony. When asked to clarify, he explained that there were many different armed groups operating in Yarmouk, estimating that more than 15 groups were present in the area, among them Al Nusra Front, ISIS, and Free Syrian Army. He described incidents of extreme violence in 2012, including the discovery of a severed head and another body on Loubia Street, as well as a massacre on Al-Ja’ounneh Street. When asked whether problems existed in Yarmouk prior to the aerial bombardment, W22 confirmed that they did.
The witness confirmed that the Accused's friend who died was named [redacted name], F34. When asked about F8’s reference to the Accused in their conversations, W22 recalled that it was made in a joking or gossiping manner rather than in a serious tone. The witness further clarified that the Accused did not hold any official role.
Regarding the images that circulated on social media, the witness explained that they provoked strong reactions among residents of Yarmouk. The images were widely perceived as reinforcing rumors that the Accused had been present at the checkpoints, masked, and involved in identifying individuals.
The proceedings were adjourned at 2:40 PM
The next trial day will be on February 10, 2026, at 09:00 AM.
Day 41 – February 10, 2026
[SJAC was unable to monitor today’s trial day.]
The next hearing will take place on February 12, at 9:00 AM.
Day 42 – February 12, 2026
The Court continued to hear the testimony of the witness from the previous session, W22. The witness had heard that F8 and F5 were members of Falastin Hurra, but did not know them personally. Falastin Hurra was known for standing by the roadblocks, as they knew everyone inside the Yarmouk Camp to identify who belonged there, in collaboration with the General Command.
The Accused had told the witness that he used to go by and help the roadblock near 30th Street and al-Bashir Mosque. The Accused used to travel to Syria for short vacations and mentioned that he used to go to the roadblock during the vacations to greet “the guys.” The witness was unsure if the Accused was on duty in any official capacity.
During the protests in 2012, the witness saw when the military was shooting the protestors from his office on Palestine Street. The witness explained that he witnessed everything through his office window across from the Tadamon police station. There were around 50 soldiers that shot and killed the protestors. [Redacted name], F35, was one of the victims of the aftermath of the protests. On the evening of the protest, a group belonging to the regime had come to his door and knocked, but F35 did not open. The group decided to shoot through the door which hit and killed F35. F35 was accused of aiding the Free Syrian Army by giving protestors water when they asked. The witness was with F35 in his home when the incident happened.
The witness got to know the Accused in [redacted location] in 2014-2015 and described their acquaintanceship as intense in the beginning but later less frequent. The witness never heard the Accused mention his involvement in a militia group or having any official title or role. The witness explained that during the years he has known the Accused, he has not perceived any evidence of such activities.
According to the witness, plundering was an ongoing issue in Yarmouk. The Accused had told the witness, as a solution to mitigate the plundering, there was an attempt to control through questioning and identifying those who did not belong to the camp which were referred to the police. The Accused had heard this from his friends which had told him during his Syria visits.
***
[15-minutes-break]
***
The Court then heard the next witness [redacted name], W23, via videocall. The witness was born in [redacted time] in Yarmouk Camp and left in [redacted time]. He worked as surgeon at his own clinic, as well as at Palestine and al-Basr Hospital. At the same time, he also served as a mediator to the Palestinian embassy to mediate between Palestinian groups, the regime and oppositional civilian activists.
At the beginning of the conflict in 2011, W23 was imprisoned at the Palestine Branch, accused of helping the opposition against the regime. The witness had a report written about him because he had taken down pictures of Bashar al-Assad during a funeral. During his imprisonment, he was isolated for a week and witnessed poor treatment, but received a different treatment as he came from a well-known family and had connections to political figures.
The witness was also arrested in 2012 due to helping an individual avoid prison by taking him to a nearby village outside of Yarmouk. During this imprisonment, he was tortured for a day. W23 was released due to his connections, which was a rare case.
In 2012, the witness recalled being threatened by [redacted name], F32, when passing the roadblock on Yarmouk Street. F32 was armed and pointed his weapon at W23 and warned him to calm down and become non-active otherwise he would get killed. F32 was a known follower of F8.
F8 was known to have followers and was building an organisation with financing from F5 (the source of the money was unknown), and together they built Falastin Hurra at the end of 2011. Falastin Hurra was tasked with protecting Yarmouk from the opposition, helping arrest civilians and controlling roadblocks. F8’s group also aided in preventing protests. The group consisted of about 20-30 individuals including Moafak D. who had visited the hospital and threatened about the treatment of individuals not from Yarmouk.
***
[60-minutes-break]
***
After the oppositional takeover, Falastin Hurra also withdrew to regime-controlled areas which included the Batikha roundabout and al-Bashir Mosque at the entrance of the camp. The checkpoints were manned by different security branches groups such as al-Mantika Branch [Branch 227], Palestine Branch [Branch 235] and F8’s group. The witness further recalled that the controlled area stretched around 500m-1km across the whole street, and the buildings across from the mosque had snipers facing Yarmouk and Palestine street. The witness said that he had seen F8’s group by the checkpoint next to the mosque. The group was there to help with the security and point out activists that tried to leave Yarmouk.
The witness recalled that he was kidnapped by the Sokor al-Jolan [EN: Al-Golan Falcons] (oppositional group) from [redacted time]. He remained in the camp after the kidnapping as he was too afraid to pass the roadblocks by the Bashir Mosque because a contact at the Palestinian embassy had warned that W23 was wanted. After the oppositional takeover, the situation changed and there was significant risk for him to be arrested despite his connections.
A cousin to the witness, [redacted name], F36, who was an activist, passed the roadblock by the Bashir Mosque but disappeared on his way back to Yarmouk. A Palestinian individual had identified F36 as an activist. W23 later found out that he had died, and it was confirmed that he was held at the Palestine Branch. W23 also witnessed the death of [redacted name], F37, who was a journalist and was shot in the head by snipers during a protest to deter protestors. [Redacted name], F38, was a doctor that was kidnapped by al-Batikha roundabout on the December 20, 2012 for mediating with the regime.
W23 does not know the Accused personally, but has heard from neighbours in [redacted location] that the Accused was a part of Falastin Hurra. He has also heard that the Accused has threatened people in Sweden who spoke against the regime that their families in Syria will be harmed. The witness also remembered hearing about a specific night where the Accused was drinking and talking about how he has raped multiple women in the Bashir Mosque.
The Prosecution had no further questions, and the Defense Counsel only asked if the witness specifically saw the Accused by the roadblocks. W23 clarified that he had seen the Accused before the conflict and greeted him in passing, however, not with F8 or by the checkpoint.
The next trial day will be on February 16, 2026, at 9:00 AM.
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