In 2018, Patrick Dabbagh, a 20-year-old psychology student, and his father Mazen were confirmed dead by Syrian authorities, 5 years after they were taken by Syrian soldiers at night. A Paris court is holding hearings to determine if Syrian intelligence officials, including Ali Mamlouk and Jamil Hassan, are responsible for their deaths. The trial is expected to shed light on the Syrian government’s use of torture and arbitrary detentions during the country’s civil war. This trial is significant, as it is one of the first instances of senior Syrian officials being tried in a European court for crimes committed during the conflict, now in its 14th year.
The accused, including Ali Mamlouk and Jamil Hassan, are being tried in absentia and are facing charges of crimes against humanity, torture, and murder. French magistrates issued arrest warrants for them in 2018, despite the low likelihood of their extradition to France. The trial aims to expose the systematic and monstrous torture practices allegedly carried out under the supervision of these officials. The accusations include not only the disappearance and deaths of the Dabbagh family but also the confiscation of their property and collaboration in their alleged killing.
Patrick and Mazen Dabbagh, who had dual French-Syrian nationality, enabled French magistrates to pursue the case. The probe started in 2015 when Mazen’s brother, Obeida Dabbagh, testified to investigators in France. Survivors of Syrian government and military brutality have provided evidence to the French magistrates. Their testimonies reveal horrific practices such as rape, beatings, electric shocks, and other forms of torture. The trial aims to expose the atrocities committed by Syrian officials in their quest to maintain power during the conflict.
In addition to the trial against the Syrian intelligence officials, French magistrates are also investigating President Bashar Assad himself for alleged complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity. The investigation focuses on chemical weapons attacks that occurred in the suburbs of Damascus in 2013 and have resulted in thousands of casualties. Arrest warrants have been issued for Assad, his brother Maher Assad, and two Syrian army generals. The investigation is being conducted under the principle of universal jurisdiction, allowing for the pursuit of crimes outside the country where they occurred.
Apart from France, other countries have also taken legal action against individuals accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria. In Switzerland, Rifat Assad, the president’s uncle, has been indicted for ordering murder and torture to suppress an uprising in the city of Hama. A former Syrian army general residing in Sweden is on trial for his role in war crimes. German courts have found two former soldiers guilty of crimes against humanity, one sentenced to life imprisonment. These actions demonstrate the global effort to hold individuals accountable for their roles in the atrocities committed during the Syrian conflict.
