The trial of a 47-year-old Syrian man began Friday in the northern German port city of Hamburg in connection with possible war crimes committed by a Syrian government militia between 2012 and 2015.
The suspect is a 47-year-old Syrian man who entered Germany in February 2016 and was arrested on August 2 last year in the northwestern city of Bremen, a spokesman for the Hanze Higher Regional Court said.
As one of the leaders of the Shabiha militia in the al-Tadamon district of the Syrian capital, the suspect is said to have participated in the abuse and enslavement of civilians, as well as looting.
The militia is said to have arbitrarily detained people at checkpoints in Damascus to extort ransoms, force them into forced labor or torture them.
The militia, working with a branch of the military secret service, is believed to have used violence to suppress opposition efforts.
The German Federal Prosecutor’s Office has charged the man with 21 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
After the charges were read, the 47-year-old stated he would comment on the allegations at a later date.
