A Dutch court has sentenced a Syrian man to 26 years in prison for crimes against humanity committed during his time working for the regime of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The court in The Hague handed down the sentence to Rafik A on Monday, having found that he tortured and raped prisoners while working as an interrogator.
“The suspect was engaged in torture, rape or other sexual abuse of eight victims in this case, either by committing the acts himself or by ordering others to do so,” presiding Judge Wim van Hattum said in a ruling summary.
The sentence is the latest in a series of cases brought against Syrian nationals since longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in a rebel offensive in December 2024.
These landmark cases have drawn attention to the gross human rights abuses committed during al-Assad’s reign, which culminated in a civil war that began in 2011 and lasted almost 14 years.
European courts have used a legal principle known as universal jurisdiction that allows defendants to be prosecuted for crimes under international law, even when committed overseas.
Read more here.
