(AFP) A German court will hand down a landmark verdict Thursday on whether a former Syrian colonel is guilty of crimes against humanity as the first trial worldwide over state-sponsored torture in Syria comes to a close.
Anwar Raslan, 58, faces life in jail if convicted of overseeing the murder of 58 people and the torture of 4,000 others at the Al-Khatib detention centre in Damascus, also known as “Branch 251,” in 2011 and 2012.
He sought refuge in Germany after deserting the Syrian regime in 2012.
“This trial is very important for Syrians because it examines very serious crimes that continue to be committed today,” said Syrian lawyer Joumana Seif.
Raslan was put on trial in April 2020 along with another lower-ranking defendant, Eyad al-Gharib, accused of helping to arrest protesters and deliver them to the detention centre.
