The atrocities allegedly came about at a Palestinian refugee camp cordoned off by the Assad regime.
At the least seven individuals have been arrested in Germany and Sweden on suspicion of committing crimes in opposition to humanity and warfare crimes in Syria in 2012-2014, authorities within the two nations mentioned on Wednesday.
In a coordinated effort that additionally concerned the European Union’s judicial cooperation company Eurojust, the EU police company Europol, and several other different unnamed European nations, 4 of the suspects had been arrested in Germany and three in Sweden.
The German federal prosecutor mentioned that these arrested in Germany had been “strongly suspected of killing and trying to kill civilians.” A few of these arrested additionally had been suspected of torture.
The 4 arrested in Germany are recognized solely as Jihad A., Mahmoud A., Sameer S. and Wael S. and had been affiliated with the Free Palestine Motion, an armed militia in Syria, since early 2011.
On the time when the crimes allegedly occurred, the militia exercised management over Damascus’ largely Palestinian district of al-Yarmouk on behalf of the Syrian regime, Germany’s federal prosecutor mentioned.
The Syrian regime cordoned off the realm fully in July 2013, leading to a scarcity of meals, water, and medical provides.
Violence and abuse
Amongst different crimes, all suspects allegedly participated within the violent crackdown of a peaceable anti-government protest in al-Yarmouk on 13 July 2012, particularly concentrating on civilian protesters by taking pictures at them. Six people died whereas others had been critically injured, the German assertion mentioned.
Germany’s federal prosecutor alleged that a few of them additionally abused civilians from al-Yarmouk severely and repeatedly. The occasions occurred between mid-2012 and 2014.
In a single case, a person was handed over to the Syrian Navy Intelligence Service, which reportedly incarcerated and tortured him. In one other case, a lady was allegedly compelled to pay along with her household jewels for the discharge of her minor son, and was threatened with rape.
German prosecutors didn’t give the suspects’ final names according to privateness guidelines. Three of these arrested — Jihad A., Sameer S. and Wael S. — are stateless Syrian Palestinians, whereas Mazhar J. is a Syrian nationwide.
The 4 had been arrested in Berlin, in Frankenthal and close to Boizenburg, in southwestern and northeast Germany, respectively. The house of one other suspect, whose identify was not given and who was not arrested, was searched within the western metropolis of Essen.
They’re on account of be introduced earlier than an investigating choose on the Federal Court docket of Justice, who will learn out their arrest warrants and determine on pre-trial detention. The arraignment will happen Monday and Tuesday, the prosecutor’s assertion mentioned.
In Sweden, the Prosecution Authority gave no particulars relating to these arrested. The prosecution authority mentioned it should be determined earlier than midday Saturday whether or not they need to be detained or launched.
