Syrian doctor sentenced to life in Germany for war crimes

Syrian doctor sentenced to life in Germany for war crimes
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A German court on Monday sentenced a Syrian doctor to life imprisonment for committing torture and war crimes in Syria between 2011 and 2012, Arab News reported. The Frankfurt Higher Regional Court found Alaa M., 40, guilty of killing two people and torturing nine others at a military hospital in Homs during the early stages of the Syrian civil war.

The court determined the severity of his crimes ruled out early release, and ordered preventive detention. Presiding Judge Christoph Koller said Alaa M. acted with sadistic intent, targeting individuals he viewed as inferior. Victims testified to brutal abuse, including beatings and burning of wounds.

The trial, which began in January 2022 and lasted over three years, relied heavily on witness accounts. Alaa M., who had worked in German clinics for a decade, was arrested in 2020 after victims recognized him in a documentary. He denied the charges, claiming a conspiracy. The verdict is not yet final.