Inside the Raslan Trial: “There was always hope and fear”

SJAC’s 21st trial monitoring report details days 50 and 51 of the trial of Anwar Raslan and Eyad Al-Gharib in Koblenz, Germany. On the first day, the court heard the testimony of a Syrian doctor. He recounted the day when he was detained, the physical conditions of his fellow detainees, and his inability to address their medical needs as a detainee himself. A statement written by Al-Gharib was read out by his Defense Counsel. The defendant expressed his pain and grief after viewing photos from the Caesar Files, and explained that his only option for defecting was to wait until the Syrian/Jordanian border opened and he could flee with his family.