A German court has sentenced a Syrian doctor to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity, including murder and torture, committed during Syria’s civil war.
The defendant, identified only as Alaa M. under German privacy laws, worked as a junior physician in a military hospital and intelligence prison in Homs and Damascus between 2011 and 2012. During this time, he brutalized detainees accused of opposing the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
The Frankfurt Higher Regional Court found him guilty in two killings and eight cases of severe torture. Presiding Judge Christoph Koller described the 40-year-old as having a "sadistic" nature, stating that he "enjoyed harming people he considered inferior."
The trial, spanning nearly three and a half years, heard harrowing testimonies from more than 50 witnesses. Survivors detailed extreme abuse, including beatings, deliberate medical malpractice, and even setting victims on fire after dousing them with flammable liquid.
In one case, M. injected a prisoner with a lethal poison as the man tried to defend himself. Another victim, a 14-year-old boy, suffered burns to his genitals. A young man with epilepsy died after being beaten and then given a fatal pill in front of his brother.
Judge Koller praised the witnesses for their courage, noting that their testimony was essential in securing the conviction. Prosecutors also highlighted the risks they faced, with many receiving threats from Syrian authorities to deter them from testifying.
Though the crimes occurred in Syria, Germany prosecuted the case under the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows for the trial of war crimes regardless of where they were committed.
M. had lived in Germany for a decade, working as an orthopedic surgeon before his arrest in 2020. He was recognized by survivors in a documentary about Homs, leading to his detention.
The court imposed life imprisonment with preventive detention, meaning he is unlikely ever to be released. His lawyers had sought acquittal, claiming he was not present for the killings, but the judge dismissed these arguments.
The verdict is subject to appeal. This case follows other German trials targeting Syrian war criminals, reinforcing the country’s commitment to holding perpetrators accountable under international law.