Two Syrian officers face trial in Vienna on Monday, accused of torture and war crimes after a yearslong manhunt by investigators. This marks Austria’s first trial against officials from the Assad regime.
The defendants include former Brigadier General Khaled al-Halabi, the highest-ranking Assad official to stand trial in Europe for these charges. Al-Halabi, 63, a member of Syria’s Druze minority, managed to avoid capture for years, allegedly with the assistance of Israeli and Austrian intelligence. He was finally detained in 2024.
Prosecutors accuse al-Halabi of suppressing protests in Raqqa between 2011 and 2013 while heading State Security there. His prior roles included serving in Syria’s intelligence service and acting as a double agent for Israeli intelligence.
Musab Abu Rukbah, 54, the other accused, served as the head of investigations in Raqqa’s criminal police and later led the Political Security office, an intelligence arm of Syria’s Ministry of Interior.
Both al-Halabi and Abu Rukbah have lived in Austria since 2015, having been granted asylum there. This case is notable as Austria joins countries like Germany and Sweden in prosecuting Syrians amid the absence of a dedicated international tribunal addressing war crimes committed during Syria’s civil conflict.
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