Inside the Raslan Trial: Closing Statements in the Al-Gharib Trial

TRIAL OF ANWAR RASLAN and EYAD AL-GHARIB Higher Regional Court – Koblenz, Germany Trial Monitoring Report 27 Hearing Dates: February 17 & 18, 2021 To read this report as a PDF, click here.   CAUTION: Some testimony includes descriptions of torture.   Summaries/Highlights:[1] Trial Day 60 – February 17, 2021 German translations of three documents […]

Foreign Aid and Demographic Change in Northwest Syria

Recent media reports from Northwest Syria have once again raised concerns about the prospect of forced demographic change in the country and the role of foreign aid in facilitating this process. These reports specifically focus on the role of Kuwait and other regional governments in financing Turkish-led reconstruction efforts on land in Afrin belonging to […]

Inside the Raslan Trial: Was it him or not? 

TRIAL OF ANWAR RASLAN and EYAD AL GHARIB Higher Regional Court – Koblenz, Germany Trial Monitoring Report 26 Hearing Dates: February 3, 2021 To read this report as a PDF, click here.   CAUTION: Some testimony includes descriptions of torture.   Summaries/Highlights:[1] Trial Day 59 – February 3, 2021 Deußing, a criminal chief inspector with […]

Inside the Raslan Trial: A new room raises old concerns about transparency

TRIAL OF ANWAR RASLAN and EYAD AL-GHARIB Higher Regional Court – Koblenz, Germany Trial Monitoring Report 25 Hearing Dates: January 27 & 28, 2021 To read this report as a PDF, click here.   CAUTION: Some testimony includes descriptions of torture.   Summaries/Highlights:[1] Trial Day 57 – January 27, 2021 Mr. Hörl, a criminal inspector […]

A Drop in the Ocean: A Preliminary Assessment of the Koblenz Trial on Syrian Torture 

*This blog was originally published in Just Security.*   April 23 marks one year since the start of the trial of two former Syrian intelligence officials in Koblenz, Germany. The case was initiated through the exercise of “universal jurisdiction,” which allows States to claim jurisdiction for serious crimes that violate international law regardless of where the alleged crime was committed or the nationality of the person […]

PRESS RELEASE: SJAC and ICWC present lessons learned (so far) from the world’s first trial against two former Syrian Intelligence employees

“Courts seized of these types of allegations should carefully consider how to engage in public outreach to populations most affected by the alleged crimes, including through interpretation services and providing open access to court proceedings” said The Syria Justice and Accountability Centre (SJAC) and The International Research and Documentation Centre for War Crimes Trials (ICWC) in a press […]

Inside the Raslan Trial: A Clear-eyed view of Al-Khatib

TRIAL OF ANWAR RASLAN and EYAD AL–GHARIB Higher Regional Court – Koblenz, Germany Trial Monitoring Report 24 Hearing Dates: January 13 & 14, 2021 To read this report as a PDF, click here.   CAUTION: Some testimony includes descriptions of torture.    Summaries/Highlights:1 Trial Day 55 – January 13, 2021 P26 was allowed to conceal personal information due to concerns about his family’s […]

Brussels V: Prolonging the Present Crisis

The fifth annual Brussels Conference on ‘Supporting the future of Syria and the Region’ (Brussels V) concluded on March 30 with disappointing results. Although participants put forth an admirable vision for improved humanitarian prospects in Syria and neighboring countries, pledged donor aid fell. Moreover, the aid did not come with the international political commitments needed to ensure that the funds can effectively reach those who need them. The conference rather promised to extend for another year the problematic system […]

Inside the Raslan Trial: “I know this man…but he is not Abu Ghadab”

TRIAL OF ANWAR RASLAN and EYAD AL GHARIB Higher Regional Court – Koblenz, Germany Trial Monitoring Report 23 Hearing dates of January 6 and 7, 2021 To read this report as a PDF, click here.   CAUTION: Some testimony includes descriptions of torture.  Summary / Highlights:1 Trial Day 53 – January 6, 2021 P25, a 30-year-old, who was detained […]

Inside the Raslan Trial: Pregnant at Al-Khatib

TRIAL OF ANWAR RASLAN and EYAD AL GHARIB Higher Regional Court – Koblenz, Germany Trial Monitoring Report 22 Hearing Date: December 16, 2020 To read this report as a PDF, click here.   CAUTION: Some testimony includes descriptions of torture.    Summaries/Highlights:1 Trial Day 52 – December 16, 2020 P24, a 41–year–old female witness testified on her detention at Branch 251 and Division […]