Government & Politics

Europe’s Syrians shaken by debate over repatriation to their war-ravaged homeland For many Syrian refugees in Europe, joy at the fall of Assad has been tempered by immediate calls for them to go home.

(Politico) When Osama Sabsabi learned that opposition forces had captured the city of Homs, where he grew up, he did something that would have been unthinkable just days earlier: He booked a ticket home. “We, the Syrian people, are experiencing an indescribable […]

News: Europe

Europe warned that collapse of Assad regime in Syria could trigger ‘serious spike’ in threat posed by Islamic State The former head of MI6 has ... warned about 'a very large number of Isis detainees left over from the destruction of the caliphate'

(GB News) The collapse of President Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria could trigger a “serious spike” in the threat posed by Islamic State (IS) to Europe, the former head of MI6 has warned. Sir Alex Younger said IS fighters currently being held […]

Government & Politics

The EU wants to deport migrants. It needs the help of Syria’s Assad Syria is the elephant in the room as EU leaders talk migration.

(Politico) Some European Union countries, led by Italy, are pushing to normalize ties with Syria in order to facilitate deportations of migrants as mainstream leaders look to replicate anti-immigrant far-right parties’ surging popularity across the continent. “It is necessary to review the […]

Government & Politics

US: Muslim groups urge voters to back Jill Stein, Cornel West or other pro-Palestine candidates While only a minor voting bloc, Muslims say endorsements show[ing] their anger over bipartisan support for Israel could sway the election

(Middle East Eye) A coalition of Muslim-American groups angry at US support for Israel’s devastating war on Gaza is asking Muslim voters to shun Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris in November’s presidential race and back either Jill Stein, Cornel West or other pro-Palestine […]

Citizenship

Former Syrian official in charge of notorious prison is arrested in Los Angeles Samir Ousman al-Sheikh, who was seeking U.S. citizenship, is accused of falsely describing whether he persecuted anyone for their political beliefs or had been involved in any killings.

(NY Times) A former Syrian military official who ran one of the country’s most notorious prisons and is accused of torturing and killing political dissidents has been arrested in Los Angeles, according to a court filing. Federal law enforcement agents detained the […]

Crime

Germany, Sweden arrest 8 over suspected war crimes in Syria German authorities have said the men are suspected of killing civilians during Syria's civil war. Swedish officials have also made arrests over suspected crimes against humanity committed in Syria.

(Deutsche Welle) German and Swedish authorities on Wednesday said they arrested eight men suspected of committing crimes against humanity in Syria. Germany’s Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that four stateless Syrian Palestinians and a Syrian national are “strongly suspected of killing […]

Legal

Minnesotan will be sentenced for fighting for ISIS: ‘I joined a death cult’ As federal authorities stopped groups of Minnesotans from traveling to ISIS territory a decade ago, Abdelhamid Al-Madioum escaped detection. His survival and return home was no less astonishing.

(Star Tribune) The Islamic State group’s territory was wasting away five years ago when a member from Minnesota desperately dug a trench around his young family’s tent to protect against airstrikes in the eastern Syrian village of Baghouz. By then, Abdelhamid Al-Madioum […]

News: Europe

British jihadist who went to fight in Syria in bid for ‘martyrdom’ will be freed from prison Mohammed Nahin Ahmed was locked up in 2014 after pleading guilty of joining an extremist group in the Middle East

(GB News) A British jihadist who went to fight in Syria has been given the green light to leave prison. Mohammed Nahin Ahmed, one of the UK’s most dangerous terrorists, was sentenced a decade ago after [pleading] guilty to joining a jihadist […]

Crime

Court convicts first pro-Assad war crimes defendant in Netherlands While the Dutch have brought several Syrians to trial for crimes committed during their country’s civil war, previous defendants were all members of opposition forces.

(Courthouse News) Dutch judges sentenced a former militia commander to 12 years in prison for complicity in torture and illegal detention on Monday, marking the first conviction of a pro-government Syrian defendant in the Netherlands. The 35-year-old, identified only as Mustafa A., […]

Government & Politics

Foreign fighter loses bid to prove he worked for Danish intelligence services Ahmed Samsam hoped to reopen his case after he was found guilty of joining the Islamic State group in Syria. He said he was working as an agent for Denmark's spy services, but today the Danish Eastern High Court declined to take up his case.

(Courthouse News) One of Denmark’s most spectacular spy court cases came to a preliminary end Wednesday, as the Eastern High Court declined to take up Ahmed Samsam’s lawsuit against the Danish domestic and foreign intelligence services. Samsam, convicted of being an Islamic […]

Children & Teens

France stabbing: Attacker denied Swedish citizenship over Syrian army service Court documents show that Abdelmasih Hanoun was 'on a mission' in Kiswa, where protesters were killed in the early stages of the uprising

(National-UAE) Swedish court documents show that a Syrian man who attacked toddlers with a knife in a park in south-east France last month served in the Syrian Armed Forces in the early years of the civil war, leading to his citizenship being […]