Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Syrian survivors cling to hope Raslan case will mark end of regime’s impunity

Syrian survivors cling to hope Raslan case will mark end of regime’s impunity

Analysis: sentencing of former colonel to life by German court may not be last chink in Assad’s armour

It was a moment thought nearly impossible after a decade of impunity: a senior Syrian intelligence officer jailed for life for helping direct the horrors of one of modern history’s most brutal wars.

But as Anwar Raslan, a former colonel in Bashar al-Assad’s forces, bowed to his fate, survivors of the barbarous regime of torture that he helped run finally had something to cling to.

The clinical calm of a German courtroom could not have been more at odds with Raslan’s former realm, the terrifying dungeons of Syria, which harboured industrial-scale death and suffering throughout a conflict still feared for its unrestrained savagery. But as the verdict was read, victims and family members sensed a rare moment of justice – a concept so elusive in Syria, it had almost become redundant.

The ruling marks the first time a senior member of Assad’s security state has been convicted for wartime atrocities and follows a litany of failed efforts to do so by family members of tens of thousands of disappeared and an international community unable, or unwilling, to take on more prominent targets.

Anwar Raslan.


For victims and their families, the symbolism was potent, as was the precedent. Though Assad and his inner sanctum remain far from the reach of international justice, the verdict complicates the Syrian leader’s creep towards normalisation with a world that had largely ostracised him.

Assad and his henchmen have so far deflected a multitude of crimes: using poison gas on their people, imposing starvation sieges and the forced displacement of millions, among other allegations of war crimes. Throughout it all, Syria’s infamous prisons became central to systemised suffering and even extermination.

But Raslan’s conviction, as well as that a year ago of a man considered to be a security functionary, Eyad al-Gharib, paves the way for greater accountability. It also adds to a weight of evidence being painstakingly built by international bodies, and non-government organisations, which refuse to let the brutality of Syria recede without redress.

Long a pariah, regional states Jordan and the UAE have made recent moves to bring Assad back into the fold. This week came a fresh suggestion that Syria should be readmitted into the Arab world – a thought that heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Egypt are known not to oppose.

Raslan was tried under the legal principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows the prosecution of crimes in one country even if they happened elsewhere.

That the trial took place in Germany was no coincidence; Raslan had sought asylum there after fleeing Syria through Jordan. Germany, unlike many other western states, has shown rare enthusiasm in putting on trial alleged perpetrators of international crimes against humanity on its soil, including cases against members of the Islamic State who committed genocide against Yazidis , as well as cases in the aftermath of massacres in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

But standing between the ambitions of prosecutors and family members who would like to reach Assad’s inner sanctum are the cold realities of global politics. Syria is not a party to the international criminal court, and its allies, Moscow and Tehran, have given Assad blanket cover before the UN security council, preventing him being referred to The Hague.

With Syria in ruins and both Russia and Iran looking to capitalise on the enormous sums they invested in safeguarding Assad, neither appear likely to cut him loose, or to expose senior officials to global justice, for now. A fundamental shift in either Vladimir Putin, or Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s position would be necessary to force Assad from power, and even then his fate would more likely be a life in exile under protection, rather than a European court.

However, among the hundreds of thousands of refugees that fled to Europe as the Syrian state collapsed and Islamic State overran parts of the country, are other protagonists and keepers of the regime’s darkest secrets. A Syrian doctor and regime official will soon also go on trial in Germany. Other officials continue to be interrogated. This chink in Assad’s armour of impunity may not be the last.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
×