Syrian Ex‑Official Sentenced to 26 Years for War‑Crime Convictions

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A Syrian national accused of crimes against humanity was sentenced by a Dutch court to 26 years in prison for the torture and rape of opponents of the former president Bashar Assad’s regime during the civil war.

The man, identified only as Rafiq al Q. due to Dutch privacy regulations, went on trial in April on charges including torture, sexual abuse and rape. He denied involvement and alleged a conspiracy by the victims and police.

The District Court of The Hague’s sentence is part of a series of rulings against Syrian suspects across Europe following Assad’s fall from power in December 2024.

The cases highlight widespread killings and abuse in detention centers during Assad’s rule, with reports of torture, brutality, sexual violence and mass executions.

Judges found that al Q. was a member of the pro‑Assad National Defense Force and served as an interrogator for the paramilitary group between 2013 and 2014, responsible for torturing detainees in Salamiyah, including beatings, suspension upside‑down and electric shocks.

“The defendant was also guilty of sexually abusing multiple victims, including rape,” the court said, noting that “the defendant repeatedly subjected the victims to extreme fear, threats, pain, hopelessness, and powerlessness.” Victims testified about lasting impacts.

Wearing a striped shirt and sitting beside his lawyer with guards nearby, al Q. made no comment as he was convicted and sentenced, though he was acquitted of several charges due to insufficient evidence.

Al Q. sought asylum in the Netherlands in 2021 and lived in Druten until his arrest in 2023.

His trial was conducted under universal jurisdiction, allowing prosecution of international offenses such as war crimes regardless of where they were committed.

Prosecutors and the defendant have 14 days to appeal the conviction and sentence.

The Dutch are not alone in prosecuting Syrians linked to the former Assad government. Last year, a German court sentenced a Syrian doctor to life imprisonment for torture and war crimes, and a Paris court sentenced three high‑ranking Syrian officials in absentia to life for complicity in war crimes.

In April, Damascus opened the first public trial of former government officials, including former army brigadier general Atef Najib, head of the Political Security Branch in Daraa province, who faced charges of crimes against the Syrian people, as reported by the state‑run news agency SANA.

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