German government ministers confirmed today that if representatives of the regime of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled to Germany after his fall from power, they will be tried in the country, Agence France-Presse reported, quoted by BTA.
“We will hold all supporters of the regime accountable for their terrible crimes with the full force of the law“, Foreign Minister Annelene Berbock told the weekly “Bild am Sonntag“.
“If supporters of the fearsome Assad regime are thinking of fleeing to Germany, they should know that practically no other country will prosecute their crimes as strictly as Germany“, Interior Minister Nancy Feser told the same publication. "Whoever participated in these atrocities will not be granted asylum from persecution here," she added.
Annalena Berbock called on "international security forces and intelligence services to cooperate as closely as possible."
Germany has already convicted several officials of the Assad government under the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows trials to be held regardless of where the crimes were committed.
In January 2022 Germany sentenced former Syrian Colonel Anwar Raslan to life in prison in the world's first trial for state-sponsored torture in Syrian prisons.
Later, in February 2023, in Berlin, a member of a government armed organization arrested in Germany in 2021 was also sentenced to life in prison for war crimes.
Syrian doctor Alaa Moussa is also currently on trial in Frankfurt, accused of torture, murder and crimes against humanity in military hospitals.
German authorities are also prosecuting individuals outside the Assad government for crimes committed in Syria since the start of the civil war in 2011.
In December 2023 German prosecutors have charged two Syrians with war crimes committed in the Damascus suburbs as part of the Islamic State group.
Germany is home to the largest Syrian diaspora in Europe, which has welcomed almost a million people from the war-torn country.
A French diplomatic mission will arrive in the Syrian capital Damascus on December 17, the first in 12 years, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France Inter television today, quoted by BTA.
The goal of the four diplomats going to Syria will be "to return ownership of our properties on the ground, to establish initial contacts" with the new authorities and "carrying out an assessment of the urgent humanitarian needs of the population", he said, quoted by Agence France-Presse.
Our mission will also verify whether the rather encouraging statements made by this new authority, which has called for calm and does not appear to have indulged in acts of violence, are being implemented in practice, he added.
Yesterday, Barrow arrived in the Jordanian city of Aqaba for a meeting with American, European, Arab and Turkish officials, with whom he discussed the transition in Syria following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad by Islamist rebels on December 8.
After an 11-day offensive, a coalition of rebel groups led by the radical Islamist group "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham" (HTS) has captured most of the country from government forces, ending the half-century rule of the Assad family. The new Prime Minister, Mohamed al-Bashir, in charge of the transitional period until March 1, has promised to establish a state of law and "guarantee the rights of all", despite the concerns of the international community.
The meeting in Aqaba allowed to define the conditions under which the international community can begin a dialogue with the new authorities in Syria: respect for minorities, observance of human rights, women's rights, non-admission of excesses, and the fight against "Islamic State" and terrorism, the French foreign minister explained.
"Regarding the new authorities in Damascus - we are by no means naive, we are aware of the past of some of these Islamist groups", Barrot noted and stressed that France will observe the upcoming period "with particular vigilance".
"As for security, the weapons must fall silent and the terrorist threat, which is still very real, must be contained", he said.
"In political terms, the de facto authorities must give way to a transitional body that is representative of all Syrian faiths and communities and that can gradually lead Syria to a new constitution and ultimately to elections,", the minister pointed out.
Finally, "we are mobilizing unconditionally to provide humanitarian assistance, which must continue to reach Syrians in need, as the conflict has displaced a significant part of the population," he added.