Inside the Majdi N. Trial #15: Testimonies of Syrian Witness on Adra Al-Omaliya and Detention Facilities in Ghouta

TRIAL OF MAJDI N.

Court of Assize – Paris, France  

Trial Monitoring Summary #15

Hearing Date: May 14, 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 15^th trial monitoring report details the morning of day 8 of the trial of Majdi N. in Paris, France. On this trial day, W11 detailed the crimes he witnessed during the attack on Adra Al-Omaliya on December 11, 2013. He reported having seen over 400 corpses and the arrests of over 600 civilians. He also gave details about the location of mass graves in the city. W11 testified that he was detained by Jabhat Al-Nusra and then Jaysh Al-Islam until August 7, 2015, and provided information about the detention facilities. Most notably, W11 saw Razan Zeitouneh, F21, in the At-Tawba prison in Douma and declared that she had been executed. W11 also witnessed torture and reported that 60% of detainees in the At-Tawba prison were between 11 and 14 years old. Moreover, W11 reported having seen Majdi N. in the At-Tawba prison in early 2014.

Majdi N. was then interrogated by the parties. He declared that he never went to the At-Tawba prison and that this prison was dedicated to disciplining members of Jaysh Al-Islam. Majdi N. further testified that he did not know if civilians from Adra Al-Omaliya had been arrested and detained. The Prosecution also inquired about messages that relatives of detainees sent to the Accused to obtain information about the fate of their loved ones who were detained by Jaysh Al-Islam, to which Majdi N. had responded. Majdi N. said he considered his behavior to be positive, because it showed his empathy and moral commitment toward families. The Prosecution also confronted Majdi N. regarding his assertion that he became a whistleblower on Jaysh Al-Islam's crimes.

Morning Session

Proceedings began at 9:55 PM.

[Redacted name] W11 was supposed to appear in court, after having been granted anonymity, and to testify behind closed doors. However, despite that, he did not wish to testify, as he did not want his face to be seen by the Accused or the Defense Counsel. As a result, Presiding Judge Lavergne read aloud W11’s statement to the Investigative Judge on June 29, 2021.

Reading of W11’s Statement before the Investigative Judge

W11 had recounted that he was living in Adra Al-Omaliya عدرا العمالية when Islamist factions, including Jaysh Al-Islam, Jabhat Al-Nusra جبهة النصرة, Jaysh Al-Umma جيش الأمة, Faylaq Al-Rahman فيلق الرحمن, and Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham هيئة تحرير الشام, attacked the city on December 11, 2013. On this occasion, W11 was arrested by Jabhat Al-Nusra and detained until August 7, 2015, both by Jabhat Al-Nusra and then by Jaysh Al-Islam.

W11 had explained that the killing in Adra Al-Omaliya lasted more than fifteen days. After the attack, W11 witnessed more than 400 corpses lying on the ground, many bearing marks of torture. He reported that Jaysh Al-Islam and Jabhat Al-Nusra burnt an Alawi woman alive and beheaded her as well as an entire family with two kids. When he was arrested, W11 had to count the corpses, dig a hole, and help his apprehenders throw the bodies—of all ages, even children and elderly people— inside. W11 stated that the deceased were all civilians accused of being Alawis, bad Muslims, or regime spies. W11 stressed that he knew the people he was forced to bury and relayed that Islamists regarded them as infidels and simply threw their bodies into pits.

W11 had said he witnessed 600 people from Christian, Ismaili, and Sunni families being taken hostage. They were not soldiers but civilians, and some worked for the government, W11 added.

Regarding mass graves, W11 had reported that Adra Al-Omaliya was divided into 16 residential subdivisions. One mass grave was close to the sports hall in residential subdivision No. 8, and another mass grave was near the mosque in residential subdivision No. 3.

Regarding detention facilities, W11 had said the factions turned residential subdivisions they invaded into prisons, such as residential subdivisions No. 8 and No. 11. They kept people there until August 2014, and during that time, prisoners dug tunnels, one of them leading from Adra Al-Omaliya to Adra Balad عدرا البلد. In February, they transferred everybody to the At-Tawba التوبة prison [in Douma]. W11 specified that women and children were transferred to Douma, and men above 18 were exploited for forced labor to construct tunnels.

[Redacted name] [redacted information]. They believed that he worked for the Syrian state, whereas W11 had explained that he was [redacted information] working in the civil sector. W11 reported to have been interrogated and tortured in detention several times. W11 reported that after 15 days of torture, he was presented to a Jabhat Al-Nusra committee, composed of Jordanians, Saudis, and Syrians, that declared him innocent. Afterwards, he was kept in detention but not tortured anymore. W11 stated that he remembered the faces of those who tortured him but not their names, since they only used kunyas [nicknames].

Once the tunnels were completed, W11 was transferred to Ghouta, and Jaysh Al-Islam soon controlled this entire region. W11 became their detainee. Between February and July 2014, W11 was transported back and forth between the prisons of Adra Al-Omaliya and At-Tawba in Douma depending on where people needed treatment. W11 added that the At-Tawba prison was located beneath the buildings of the Agronomy Institute, and it held children and women who had been arrested in Adra Al-Omaliya. W11 stated that 60% of detainees in At-Tawba were between 11 and 14 years old.

One day between February and April 2014, W11 had reported, he was treating someone in the corridor of the At-Tawba prison when he saw Zahran Alloush coming with [redacted name], F29, the director of a hospital who collaborated with Islamists, and Islam Alloush [Majdi N.]. W11 recalled that Islam Alloush was in good shape. He stated that he could identify him because, as a [redacted information] members of Jaysh Al-Islam, he had good relations with them. So, once the group entered the prison, they presented Islam Alloush to him and explained that he was the group’s spokesperson.

The Investigative Judge had presented two photographic boards to W11. The first one displayed a picture of Zahran Alloush, [redacted name] F28, Issam Al-Buwaydani عصام البويضاني, and two other individuals from Jabhat Al-Nusra who W11 recognized. On the second board, W11 recognized Islam Alloush. W11 mentioned that when he saw him in At-Tawba prison, Islam Alloush was wearing a military uniform and a Palestinian Keffiyeh on his head. W11 gave the Investigative Judge details about the prison facility where the scene had occurred.

Questioned about the detainees held in Jaysh Al-Islam’s prisons, W11 had mentioned ten to 12 children from Adra Al-Omaliya aged four to ten. He also saw a woman giving birth inside the prison. He further relayed that Jaysh Al-Islam was teaching the children the Quran and weapon handling. One Christian boy aged 16 converted to Islam and joined Jaysh Al-Islam, W11 reported. W11 himself declared he converted to Islam right after his arrest so as to not get killed by Jabhat Al-Nusra. Responding to the Investigative Judge, W11 also gave details about his relationship with Zahran Alloush, with whom he sometimes had discussions.

On another photographic board the Investigative Judge presented to the witness, W11 recognized the person who became Jaysh Al-Islam’s spokesperson after Majdi N.’s resignation, as well as [redacted name] F29, and another individual he had seen in Ghouta. Majdi N. confirmed the identity of those individuals to Presiding Judge Lavergne in the present hearing. Further questioned by the Investigative Judge on F29, W11 had stated F29 headed the At-Tawba prison and was a very radical Islamist, and remembered how he selected people to be executed. W11 said that executions did not take place inside the At-Tawba prison. When the windows of his cell were opened, he could hear conversations on whom Jaysh Al-Islam intended to kill.

Questioned about torture methods, W11 had reported that people were beaten, suspended with their hand tied above their head, insulted, or threatened to get their hands and ears cut off. W11 declared that he saw three or four individuals who died under torture in the At-Tawba prison. W11 relayed that prisoners received 200 grams of food every day, mostly rice and, on rare occasions, a spoonful of jam. Detainees slept on the ground, without a mattress, and there was no air, W11 added.

The Investigative Judge had asked W11 whether he had heard of Razan Zeitouneh in detention. W11 recalled that in April or May 2014, he was brought to Adra’s second prison [redacted information]. Islamists did not allow [redacted information] to touch women. There, he heard another woman asking a jailer to help this sick woman, and the jailer told W11 that she was a journalist who collaborated with the Syrian regime. W11 recalled that she had a nice voice, big eyes, white skin, and that she was not afraid. The Investigative Judge showed him a picture of Razan Zeitouneh, and W11 said he was 90% sure that it was her.

Two weeks later, after April 2014, W11 had been in a common cell in the At-Tawba prison and heard Razan Zeitouneh, who was alone in a cell (cell no. 6). She was whispering to a woman in the next cell (cell no. 5), so as to not be heard by the jailers. The next day, the woman from cell no. 5 told W11 that Razan Zeitouneh had been executed, but nobody knew where she had been taken [to be executed]. W11 stated that the prisoner who was with Razan Zeitouneh was also executed three or four days after her.

The Investigative Judge had then shown W11 several pictures representing Jaysh Al-Islam’s prisons and asked W11 to comment. Among other details W11 provided, he explained that cages were used to transport him to different locations. He also recognized the cell of Razan Zeitouneh and the location where he saw Majdi N. in early 2014.

The Investigative Judge had then inquired about a man W11 allegedly treated (see Trial Report #3), but W11 could not remember him. The Investigative Judge then wondered if W11 knew a certain [redacted name], and W11 stated that he saw him in the At-Tawba prison and witnessed that he had been badly tortured. He added that the Khabiyeh family [who F34 also belonged to, among others and Trial Report #16] was not really Islamist.  #14 and Trial Report #16] was not really Islamist.

W11 then explained that he was transferred to Northern Syria, and while temporarily stationed in Al Qalamun القلمون on the way, he managed to escape. To conclude, W11 stated that Jaysh Al-Islam's members were capable of doing anything for their interests and declared that he was ready to file a complaint against the group and against the [redacted name].

Presiding Judge Lavergne reminded the Court that this witness had never been confronted with the Accused.

Presiding Judge Lavergne’s Questioning of Majdi N. on W11’s statement

Majdi N. testified that he never went to the At-Tawba prison and that this prison was dedicated to disciplining [انضباط] members of Jaysh Al-Islam. Majdi N. further said that he did not know if civilians from Adra Al-Omaliya were detained there. Presiding Judge Lavergne mentioned a Facebook page called “Adra Al-Omaliya. Messages from the Inside,” عدرا العمالية. رسائل من الداخل and Majdi N. replied that he had heard of it. 

Questioned about [redacted name], Majdi N. said that this person was the spokesperson of Faylaq Al-Rahman فيلق الرحمن and added that they did not get along at all. Majdi N. explained that at some point, Faylaq Al-Rahman joined Al-Qaeda to fight Jaysh Al-Islam. Presiding Judge Lavergne mentioned a conversation, found on Majdi N.’s computer, with an interlocutor named “[redacted name]” who was listed in Majdi N.’s phone contacts. The conversation referred to a detainee of Faylaq Al-Rahman against whom a false accusation of belonging to ISIS had been brought. The detainee was then handed over to Jaysh Al-Islam. Responding to Presiding Judge Lavergne, Majdi N. explained that [redacted name] was the spokesperson of Jaysh Al-Islam’s [General Staff]. Presiding Judge Lavergne asked the Accused how he could explain the content of this conversation. Majdi N. responded that he proceeded with this case as he always did when people asked him questions: He sent a message [to the leadership of Jaysh Al-Islam] and transferred the response [to the person who had contacted him]. Majdi N. added that it seemed [مو أكيد] that Jaysh Al-Islam was not responsible for the detention of this individual.

Presiding Judge Lavergne then mentioned a document by Jaysh Al-Islam stating that videos taken from Adra Al-Omaliya should stop being published because they contained information that could trigger bombings by the Syrian regime. Presiding Judge Lavergne referenced another document dated August 29, 2015 sent by Jaysh Al-Islam’s General Staff to the Policy Office المكتب السياسي responsible for the negotiations at the security department, which stated that publishing prisoners’ declarations led the Syrian regime to bomb Jaysh Al-Islam’s headquarters. Majdi N. did not remember either of the documents.

Prosecutor Thouault referenced a part of [redacted name] W15’s statement [see Trial Report #19 for the full statement by W15]. W15 is an Ismaili woman from Adra Al-Omaliya who worked as a civil servant. W15 reported to have been detained with her sister in the At-Tawba prison until her release on July 15, 2016. She stated that the prison was located in a former agricultural research center where Jaysh Al-Islam also had its headquarters. Prosecutor Thouault further read passages of her statement in which she described detention conditions for women and declared that torture and forced labor was inflicted upon the men. According to W15, several men had died during captivity, including her own brother. W15 also reported to have been exhibited, together with 17 women and 12 men, in cages placed around Douma in October 2015. When asked by Presiding Judge Lavergne, Majdi N. said he did not wish to react.

Presiding Judge Lavergne then mentioned a talk where Zahran Alloush revealed the seven principles that would apply in the At-Tawba prison, in contrast with the detention conditions he had endured in Branch Palestine [under the Syrian government]. Zahran Alloush said that inmates shall have the right to eat, drink, and go to the toilet, as well as the right to personal hygiene and clothing. They should also be able to sleep (see also Trial Report #11). Majdi N. said he remembered this talk with Zahran Alloush and that he had to look at the case file to be able to answer further questions on the At-Tawba prison, arguing there were obviously translation issues.

Civil Parties’ Counsels’ Questioning of Majdi N. on W11’s statement

Responding to Counsel Bailly, Majdi N. confirmed the battle of Adra Al-Omaliya had occurred but denied to having issued a press release about it. Counsel Bailly then mentioned a press release dated September 26, 2014 provided by the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) referring to the triumph in Adra. Counsel Bailly thus deduced that Jaysh Al-Islam was indeed present at the battle. Majdi N. declared he wanted to see the document and its translation before giving any reply, though he confirmed Jaysh Al-Islam participated in the battle. Counsel Bailly asked if he could also confirm a massacre had occurred, to which Majdi N. replied that he had been in Turkey at that time. Counsel Bailly confronted Majdi N. with a March 10, 2017 report by the UN Human Rights Council about the massacre committed on December 11, 2013. Majdi N. replied that he could not say if the information shared was right or wrong, and pointed to the problem of documenting and verifying testimonies.

Counsel Bailly returned to Majdi N.’s testimony that the At-Tawba prison was dedicated to disciplining Jaysh Al-Islam’s members. He then mentioned an audio recording found on Majdi N.’s iPhone in which someone reported that all ISIS members had been beheaded, and that there was nobody left for an exchange of prisoners, since [they had died before arriving] at the At-Tawba prison. Majdi N. said he did not remember this discussion, adding that the term “beheaded” meant that they died in combat.

Counsel Bailly reported on Majdi N.’s statements before the Investigative Judge, where the Accused had declared that, during the attack on Adra Al-Omaliya, Jabhat Al-Nusra executed four Alawis and took civilians hostage until 2017. Counsel Bailly noted that witness statements and testimonies, including that of W11, offered a different reading of the events [pointing to Jaysh Al-Islam's involvement in the crimes]. Majdi N. replied that he could not contradict W11’s statement, but asserted he and W11 had never met.

Counsel Bailly referenced another witness who was detained in Jaysh Al-Islam’s prison and was injured on his arm. When he had attempted to amputate himself, W11 reportedly talked him out of it. Counsel Bailly further mentioned the statement from May 25, 2019 of a jailer of Jaysh Al-Islam in which he declared to have seen Razan Zeitouneh in detention and stated that she had been tortured. This witness had also mentioned three [redacted information], among them [redacted information], W11. Counsel Bailly asked Majdi N. if this was also a lie, and the Accused replied, “How could I know?”

Returning to the topic of Adra Al-Omaliya, Majdi N. said he had obtained information from the Media Office after the battle occurred, and his task was to share this information with the media. Presiding Judge Lavergne asked whether the population of Adra Al-Omaliya had been warned about the fact that the city was a military objective. Majdi N. replied that the objective was to liberate these cities from a regime that tortured and killed, and there was no need for a previous declaration because every city awaited liberation by the rebels. Replying to Presiding Judge Lavergne, Majdi N. said he did not think heavy weapons were used [by the factions in the battle].

Counsel Zarka referenced a conversation where Majdi N. was asked about the fate of missing persons and asked whether he was an intermediary between relatives of missing persons and jailers. Majdi N. replied, “I will of course not respond to this question” and said he would respond to a question strictly related to the conversation. Presiding Judge Lavergne then read the whole conversation aloud. Majdi N. confirmed he had received such demands, explaining he was in charge of Jaysh Al-Islam’s public relations [علاقات عامة] and obtained information [about detainees, for instance] from the Media Office. Presiding Judge Lavergne asked if Majdi N. possessed a list of all Jaysh Al-Islam detainees, and the Accused said he did not know if such a list existed, and it was not his concern but an internal issue.

Prosecution's Questioning of Majdi N. on W11’s statement

Prosecutor Thouault referenced two video interviews with Majdi N. In the first one, dated March 29, 2014, Majdi N. had accused the journalist interviewer of talking only about the defeats and not the victories of Jaysh Al-Islam, and the journalist responded by mentioning the battle of Adra Al-Omaliya. In another interview dated September 18, 2015, Majdi N. had reportedly explained that civilians were satisfied with Jaysh Al-Islam’s behavior, taking the invasion of Adra Al-Sina’iya عدرا الصناعية as an example. Majdi N. pointed out the difference between the cities of Adra Al-Omaliya [City of Adra Labor] and Adra Al-Sina’iya [Adra Industrial City], which was then clarified by the Court interpreter.

A discussion ensued during which the Accused said that he wished to have documents in front of him in order to respond and deplored that the Prosecution only took into account incriminating evidence. Prosecutor Thouault responded that this accusation of partiality mirrored the criticism Majdi N. previously directed at the journalist, namely that only negative points about Jaysh Al-Islam were mentioned. Prosecutor Thouault concluded there was a certain pattern in Majdi N.’s remarks.

Presiding Judge Lavergne referred to W11’s statement [on Adra Al-Omaliya] and stressed that this city was inhabited by civilians, and not used for military barracks. Majdi N. confirmed, but added that there were a lot of soldiers there.

Prosecutor Thouault further referenced two messages Majdi N. had received in 2015 and 2017 respectively, in which his interlocutors inquired about elderly men who were detained or had been arrested in Adra Al-Omaliya. She presented this information alongside Majdi N.’s earlier declaration that he was not aware of civilians being arrested by Jaysh Al-Islam. Majdi N. replied that first of all, he viewed his behavior as something positive and not negative and could automatically feel what prisoners’ relatives felt [بشكل أتوماتيكي متعاطف معهم], since he personally endured it when his own brother [F4] was detained. Majdi N. added that he replied to these people with calm and respect, and conducted searches to be able to respond to them. He stressed that he considered it his moral duty [واجب أخلاقي] to verify the information he shared with them.

Prosecutor Thouault retorted that Majdi N. received dozens of messages and pretended to be a whistleblower, but never denounced the massive presence of detainees in Jaysh Al-Islam’s prisons. She mentioned one conversation dated September 2015 (among others), in which a father was inquiring about his son detained in At-Tawba and accused of pledging allegiance to ISIS. Majdi N. had replied that it was not the case and that the file was closed. Prosecutor Thouault added that, on October 25, 2015, Majdi N. was contacted with a request to evacuate a couple and a media activist from Ghouta and had simply responded that it was not possible.

Defense Counsel Ruiz argued that Majdi N. had rather responded that Jaysh Al-Islam did not operate in these zones and urged the Prosecution to not oversimplify things when implying that Majdi N. did not have empathy. Defense Counsel Ruiz added that Prosecutor Thouault had an interesting view of a whistleblower—according to her, they receive information and should immediately raise the alarm without verifying it. Majdi N. added that the only way to verify information was to ask Jaysh Al-Islam. Majdi N. also insisted that he started considering himself a whistleblower only after his resignation [in 2017].

Prosecutor Havard pointed to a message that showed that Majdi N. had been immediately informed that civilians had been placed in metal cages and exhibited around Douma. Majdi N. responded that he wished to see the message in question and confirmed he considered this inhuman treatment. Prosecutor Havard noted that Majdi N. testified to having studied International Humanitarian Law and wondered why, [with such a background], he had not condemned such acts [at the time]. Majdi N. said he personally condemned it and that Jaysh Al-Islam had made a press release about the incident.

Prosecutor Havard read the press release in question, dated November 5, 2015, in which Jaysh Al-Islam denied responsibility, claiming that civilians extracted Alawi detainees by force and placed them in cages. The group deplored that they could do nothing to prevent these events. Prosecutor Havard wondered how a faction composed of 12,000 men was unable to stop civilians from committing such a thing and asked Majdi N. whether Jaysh Al-Islam's version was really credible. Majdi N. confirmed he believed this version.

Prosecutor Havard referenced the statement by W15 that described the exhibition of civilians in cages. According to her, it was a vast operation aimed at sending a message [to the Syrian regime] that was well prepared and covered by many journalists. Prosecutor Havard doubted that such an operation could really be the result of spontaneous public anger. As a response, Majdi N. repeated that he was in Turkey at that time and only reported what the Commander of Jaysh Al-Islam had told him.

Prosecutor Havard wondered why Majdi N. did not use the occasion of an encounter with a British envoy to denounce this event, and Majdi N. did not know. Defense Counsel Ruiz said that this encounter occurred in 2015, whereas Majdi N. claimed to have become a whistleblower in 2017. Counsel Ruiz deplored that chronology was not a concern [for the Prosecution].

Defense Counsel’s Questioning of Majdi N. on W11’s statement

Counsel Kempf referenced the same conversation mentioned by Prosecutor Thouault of a father inquiring about his son detained in At-Tawba and detailed that the conversation spanned over seven days. Counsel Kempf deduced that Majdi N.’s phone number was easily accessible to people. Counsel Kempf then clarified the sequence of the conversation, and Majdi N. confirmed he had no decision-making authority [about the fate of detainees]. Counsel Kempf also noted that Majdi N. told this father he thought it was possible to appoint a lawyer. Majdi N. commented that he knew it was possible because there was a form of a judicial system in Ghouta.

Counsel Kempf noted that according to W11, Majdi N. allegedly wore a Palestinian Keffiyeh on his head. Majdi N. commented that in Syria, people who wear the Keffiyeh belong to a certain social class [محل اجتماعي] which he and his family did not belong to, adding that in his entire town, nobody wore the Keffiyeh.

Counsel Kempf then read the transcript of a statement by [redacted name] F41. In this statement, F41 declared to be a researcher specialized in Syria and to have met Majdi N. for the first time in November 2013. Majdi N. reportedly told F41 that he left Ghouta in the middle of 2013. F41 recalled having met Majdi N. several times in Turkey in 2014 during a training on international law and management. After Majdi N. resigned, F41 advised him to apply to the Toran Center. F41 described Majdi N. as a polite and respectful person and did not think that the accusations brought against him reflected his true nature. Counsel Kempf commented that the Investigative Judge refused to hear F41. Responding to Presiding Judge Lavergne, Majdi N. confirmed this person was employed by the Toran Center, which he headed.

Counsel Kempf then mentioned a certificate of a six-day religious training that took place in April 10, 2014 that Majdi N. attended in Malatya, Turkey. Counsel Kempf concluded that Majdi N. was in Turkey on the date when W11 pretended to have seen him in the At-Tawba prison in Douma. 

Proceedings were suspended at 1:56 PM.