Inside the Majdi N. Trial #21: Testimony of Syrian Witness on International Humanitarian Law Trainings Organized with the Accused
TRIAL OF MAJDI N.
Court of Assize – Paris, France
Trial Monitoring Summary #21
Hearing Date: May 20, 2025
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.]
[Note: Rather than publishing the trial reports of the Majdi N. case in chronological order, SJAC has organized them thematically and coherently based on the content of the hearings, making the material more accessible by highlighting key issues and connections across the proceedings.]
SJAC’s 21st trial monitoring report details parts of day 12 of the trial of Majdi N. in Paris, France. On this trial day, a video of F20’s statement was displayed in court. F20 was a legal advisor to the Free Syrian Army. In particular, he worked with the Swiss organization Geneva Call to train fighters of Syrian armed groups on international humanitarian law. Regarding Jaysh Al-Islam, F20 reported that he had directly worked with Majdi N. to organize such trainings and stated that the Accused was present during the sessions. F20 also declared that the Accused became a friend to him. Majdi N. was then questioned about the video. He insisted that the trainings organized with Geneva Call in northern Syria consisted of teachings in international law, English, and management, and not in military trainings.
Day 12 – May 20, 2025
Afternoon Session
At the end of the afternoon, after the testimony of Civil Party [redacted name], W22, the Defense requested the projection of a video of [redacted name], F20, a Syrian living in Turkey who was part of the Afaq Academy [that was affiliated with Geneva Call, see Trial Report #17].
[Under French law, the evidentiary value of testimonies differs depending on whether the person was sworn in as a witness in Court or was heard as a simple informant, or if his statement was simply read aloud or displayed in a video. As W22 was not sworn in as a witness, his statement was regarded merely as informational and did not carry the same probative value as formal witness testimony.]
In the video, F20 reported that he was born in Daraya in 1986 and later detained [by the Syrian regime]. He stated that he met Majdi N. as part of his work with Geneva Call, particularly during the training campaign on international humanitarian law called ‘Combatants and not murderers,’ which started in 2013 and targeted factions' members. F20 then detailed the content of the training and added that Majdi N. was the first person F20 contacted in 2013, when he asked Majdi N. to participate in a workshop in the region of Hatay, in the city of Reyhanlı, Turkey.
F20 reported that Majdi N. oversaw the media sector and communications within Jaysh Al-Islam. Majdi N. had supported F20 in organizing all workshops and asked Jaysh Al-Islam's command to send field fighters, F20 added. However, when it came to negotiations in Geneva, Jaysh Al-Islam decided to send a higher-ranking commander. Consequently, during the dialogue in 2014 lasting a couple of days, Jaysh Al-Islam’s delegation was led by [redacted name]. F20 insisted that Jaysh Al-Islam thus chose someone who was of higher rank than Majdi N.
F20 further stated that his relation to Majdi N. became closer after the latter’s resignation from Jaysh Al-Islam, and F20 advised him about a University in Istanbul. F20 reported that Majdi N.’s financial situation [in Turkey] was not good, since he had to sleep in the office of a friend. F20 also mentioned that Majdi N. narrowly missed first place in the academic ranking, managed to learn Turkish and English, and was ambitious at work.
F20 also mentioned a conference on Islamism and secularism that took place in Istanbul. One of the speakers, Yassin Al-Haj Saleh, refused to speak if Majdi N. would remain in the room. On this occasion, Majdi N. claimed that he worked in the media, was not in Ghouta at that time [i.e. from 2013], and had nothing to blame himself for while he was working in Jaysh Al-Islam. Majdi N. also said that he never defended crimes, and resigned when he was not in accordance anymore, so he did not understand this radical treatment toward him. F20 also recalled that Majdi N. did not want the revolution to be accused of terrorism. F20 concluded that his relationship with Majdi N. turned into a friendship after he got to know his human side.
Presiding Judge Lavergne asked Majdi N. if he wished to react to the video. Majdi N. wished F20 would have testified in this court because of the information he could share about the Accused’s work. Majdi N. added that F20 might have forgotten to mention that he never set foot in Ghouta again, but Majdi N. thought that was because it went without saying, and F20 knew that. Majdi N. also confirmed that F20 was a legal advisor to the Free Syrian Army, and that they used to exchange views on legal matters. They became close, and Majdi N. added that F20 had very good relations with all factions.
Presiding Judge Lavergne noted that the training sessions took place in 2013 and 2014 and asked where Majdi N. was at that time. The Accused replied that he was in Idlib. Presiding Judge Lavergne asked if the Accused managed a training camp in northern Syria, to which Majdi N. replied that it was a diving course and that it was a teaching and not a training [تعليم ومو تدريب].
Presiding Judge Lavergne then inquired about the disagreement between Majdi N. and Jaysh Al-Islam. Majdi N. commented that he oversaw communications and legal issues related to the program ‘Combatants and not murderers,’ and this matter was very important to him. However, whenever a representative had to be sent to Geneva, Majdi N. deplored, Jaysh Al-Islam always chose someone else. Majdi N. reported that he was very angry about it, since he was the one who had done everything. But when there was something to gain, like staying in a hotel or traveling abroad, they were the ones who benefited from the situation, the Accused criticized. That was the reason why there was a distance between Majdi N. and them. Responding to Presiding Judge Lavergne, Majdi N. confirmed that this event occurred before Zahran Alloush’s death, but pointed out that F7 was the one making the decisions in the Policy Office, even at that time.
Presiding Judge Lavergne asked at what date Majdi N. received his first training in international humanitarian law. Majdi N. responded that there were three different aspects: his relationship with Geneva Call; his presence in trainings; and his role as trainer of [Jaysh Al-Islam’s] fighters. Majdi N. declared that he got in contact with the organization [Geneva Call] in August 2013, and in October-November 2013, he participated in a training in the region of Hatay, Turkey organized by Geneva Call taking place on the premises of the Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (or IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation). Majdi N. testified that he then became a trainer of [international humanitarian law], and Presiding Judge Lavergne wondered why there were no traces of this experience on his computer. Defense Counsel Kempf intervened to point out that a document had just been translated, and Majdi N. argued that the rules [he had to teach] were very simple. As for the training in northern Syria, Majdi N. insisted that it consisted of teachings in international law, English, and management, and not in military trainings.
Proceedings were suspended at 8:02 PM.
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