Latest news with #anti-Assad
France 24
12 hours ago
- General
- France 24
Syrian pro-Assad fighter jailed for life in Germany for crimes against humanity
A German court on Tuesday convicted a Syrian man of crimes against humanity and jailed him for life over offences committed during his time fighting for former President Bashar al-Assad. The court in the city of Stuttgart found the former militiaman, previously named as Ammar A, guilty of crimes including murder and torture after a trial which involved testimony from 30 witnesses. Shortly after the outbreak of anti-Assad protests in early 2011, the man joined a pro-government Shia militia in the southern town of Bosra al-Sham. The court said that the group was supported by the Lebanese Shia Hezbollah group, which intervened in Syria's conflict in support of Assad's government. He proceeded to take part in, and in some cases direct, several crimes against the local Sunni population with the aim of "terrorising" them and driving them from the town, the court found. In August 2012, an unarmed 21-year-old student was shot dead and had his house plundered during a raid by the militia. The victim's mother and brother were among the witnesses for the prosecution. In another incident in 2013 the armed group arrested three men and beat them continuously with Kalashnikovs while taking them to a military intelligence detention facility, where they were tortured. The court heard from witnesses -- most of them originally from Syria -- who travelled from across Germany and from Brazil, Belgium and the Netherlands to testify. Assad was overthrown in December 2024, allowing witnesses to provide the court with images of the detention facilities they were held in and the damage that the militia caused to their houses. Local media reported that at the beginning of the trial in October one of the victims present in the courtroom broke down as details of the crimes were read out. German authorities have pursued several suspects for crimes committed in Syria's civil war under the principle of universal jurisdiction, even after Assad's ousting. The man convicted on Tuesday was arrested in December 2023 in the southern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, of which Stuttgart is the capital. In 2022, former Syrian colonel Anwar Raslan was found guilty of overseeing the murders of 27 people and the torture of 4,000 others at the notorious Al-Khatib jail in 2011 and 2012. That was the first international trial over state-sponsored torture in Syrian prisons and was hailed as "historic" by human rights activists. France and Sweden.
The Sun
14 hours ago
- General
- The Sun
Syrian pro-Assad fighter jailed for life in Germany for crimes against humanity
BERLIN: A German court on Tuesday convicted a Syrian man of crimes against humanity and jailed him for life over offences committed during his time fighting for former President Bashar al-Assad. The court in the city of Stuttgart found the former militiaman guilty of crimes including murder and torture after a trial which involved testimony from 30 witnesses. Shortly after the outbreak of anti-Assad protests in early 2011, the man joined a pro-government Shia militia in the southern town of Bosra al-Sham. He proceeded to take part in several crimes against the local Sunni population with the aim of 'terrorising' them and driving them from the town, the court found. German authorities have pursued several suspects for crimes committed in Syria's civil war under the principle of universal jurisdiction, even after Assad's ouster last December. In 2022, former Syrian colonel Anwar Raslan was found guilty of overseeing the murders of 27 people and the torture of 4,000 others at the notorious Al-Khatib jail in 2011 and 2012. That was the first international trial over state-sponsored torture in Syrian prisons and was hailed as 'historic' by human rights activists.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Turkish firms see promise and peril in sanctions-free Syria
By Ceyda Caglayan ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Turkish companies see big opportunities in neighbouring Syria as a lifting of U.S. sanctions clears the way for investment in post-war reconstruction, but they remain wary of challenges, from lingering insecurity to banking and tax headaches. President Donald Trump's decision to end long-standing restrictions that severed Syria from the global financial system under former President Bashar al-Assad is seen as a lifeline for a nation decimated by 13 years of war. Construction, transportation and manufacturing firms from Turkey - a close ally of Syria's new administration after backing anti-Assad rebels - are poised to play a major role in repairing the damage, which the U.N. estimates at nearly $1 trillion. "The lifting of sanctions was just an urban legend, rumours for a time. But with Trump's announcement, everything has suddenly changed," said Omer Hot, a director at Istanbul-based Formul Plastik. Syria's Finance Minister Yisr Barnieh has called his country "a land of opportunities" and said the government plans to overhaul the tax, customs and banking systems to foster foreign investment and facilitate donor funding pledges. Interviews with officials from two dozen Turkish companies reflect both optimism over the potential of a previously sealed off market with vast needs and caution over rushing investments in a country where even money transfers can be difficult and banknotes scarce. Formul Plastik has received the first plastics orders from Syria, Hot told Reuters. He estimated that Turkish companies could end up with a quarter of Syria's reconstruction pie. But he is already facing hurdles. "Rather than banks, there are brokers such as exchange bureaus that mediate trade payments. This model will have to be used for now," Hot said. Other Turkish companies at the Buildex construction materials expo in Syria's capital Damascus this week said demand from Syrian counterparts was very high, even as they listed worries over tax rates, customs snarls and creaking transport infrastructure. "We are taking a calculated risk, let's say," said Burak Serim, regional export manager at construction materials producer Entegre Harc. SECURITY AND INVESTMENT In the wake of Assad's December ouster and the establishment of a government under new President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Turkey is already feeling economic benefits. Ankara has pledged to help rebuild Syria's economy, including by providing natural gas. And Ziraat, Turkey's top state bank, told Reuters it would step in to support its banking sector when conditions are right. Turkish firms Kalyon GES Enerji Yatirimlari and Cengiz Enerji are set to expand Syria's power grid under a new deal. Syria's trade with the rest of the world all but dried up during the war. But Turkish exports to its neighbour were up 37% year on year in the first four months of 2025, official data show. In an indication of its gaping needs for construction materials, Syrian imports of Turkish machinery more than tripled and non-ferrous metals doubled. Glass and ceramics were up 73%. Pledges of financing have, meanwhile, come in from wealthy Western nations, multilateral donors, and the likes of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. But for the most part, those are still largely promises. And Turkish company managers voiced concern there may not be enough for all the roads, bridges, dams and power plants that must be rebuilt. Syria's economy shrank dramatically during the war years. And with over 90% of its 25 million people now living below the poverty line, according to U.N. agencies, the government has scant resources. Volkan Bozay, chief executive of the Turkish Cement Manufacturers' Association, told Reuters that much hinges on which lenders finance the reconstruction projects but added that Turkish companies would play a major role no matter what. "It is out of the question that we will not take advantage of the opportunities," he said. Beyond construction, Turkish manufacturers are also eyeing Syria as a possible hub for low-cost production. "Lower production costs in Syria are an advantage," said Ahmet Oksuz, a board member at Turkish textile manufacturer Kipas. "But Turkish and Syrian authorities should coordinate to establish organised industrial zones that will ensure entirely safe areas for manufacturers," he added. Questions of security in a country still awash with arms where the new central government wields only tenuous control remain at the top of the list of concerns for many would-be investors. Hakan Bucak, former Turkish-Syrian business council board director, said Syria will likely need six months to ensure security and set up bureaucratic systems. "Security risks should be fully eliminated and investors need to feel it," said Bucak, who is already looking to open a quarry near the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. "If we feel safe, we have plans to invest."
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Turkish firms see promise and peril in sanctions-free Syria
FILE PHOTO: People ride on a motorbike past a damaged building as U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria, in Aleppo, Syria May 14, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano/File Photo ISTANBUL - Turkish companies see big opportunities in neighbouring Syria as a lifting of U.S. sanctions clears the way for investment in post-war reconstruction, but they remain wary of challenges, from lingering insecurity to banking and tax headaches. President Donald Trump's decision to end long-standing restrictions that severed Syria from the global financial system under former President Bashar al-Assad is seen as a lifeline for a nation decimated by 13 years of war. Construction, transportation and manufacturing firms from Turkey - a close ally of Syria's new administration after backing anti-Assad rebels - are poised to play a major role in repairing the damage, which the U.N. estimates at nearly $1 trillion. "The lifting of sanctions was just an urban legend, rumours for a time. But with Trump's announcement, everything has suddenly changed," said Omer Hot, a director at Istanbul-based Formul Plastik. Syria's Finance Minister Yisr Barnieh has called his country "a land of opportunities" and said the government plans to overhaul the tax, customs and banking systems to foster foreign investment and facilitate donor funding pledges. Interviews with officials from two dozen Turkish companies reflect both optimism over the potential of a previously sealed off market with vast needs and caution over rushing investments in a country where even money transfers can be difficult and banknotes scarce. Formul Plastik has received the first plastics orders from Syria, Hot told Reuters. He estimated that Turkish companies could end up with a quarter of Syria's reconstruction pie. But he is already facing hurdles. "Rather than banks, there are brokers such as exchange bureaus that mediate trade payments. This model will have to be used for now," Hot said. Other Turkish companies at the Buildex construction materials expo in Syria's capital Damascus this week said demand from Syrian counterparts was very high, even as they listed worries over tax rates, customs snarls and creaking transport infrastructure. "We are taking a calculated risk, let's say," said Burak Serim, regional export manager at construction materials producer Entegre Harc. SECURITY AND INVESTMENT In the wake of Assad's December ouster and the establishment of a government under new President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Turkey is already feeling economic benefits. Ankara has pledged to help rebuild Syria's economy, including by providing natural gas. And Ziraat, Turkey's top state bank, told Reuters it would step in to support its banking sector when conditions are right. Turkish firms Kalyon GES Enerji Yatirimlari and Cengiz Enerji are set to expand Syria's power grid under a new deal. Syria's trade with the rest of the world all but dried up during the war. But Turkish exports to its neighbour were up 37% year on year in the first four months of 2025, official data show. In an indication of its gaping needs for construction materials, Syrian imports of Turkish machinery more than tripled and non-ferrous metals doubled. Glass and ceramics were up 73%. Pledges of financing have, meanwhile, come in from wealthy Western nations, multilateral donors, and the likes of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. But for the most part, those are still largely promises. And Turkish company managers voiced concern there may not be enough for all the roads, bridges, dams and power plants that must be rebuilt. Syria's economy shrank dramatically during the war years. And with over 90% of its 25 million people now living below the poverty line, according to U.N. agencies, the government has scant resources. Volkan Bozay, chief executive of the Turkish Cement Manufacturers' Association, told Reuters that much hinges on which lenders finance the reconstruction projects but added that Turkish companies would play a major role no matter what. "It is out of the question that we will not take advantage of the opportunities," he said. Beyond construction, Turkish manufacturers are also eyeing Syria as a possible hub for low-cost production. "Lower production costs in Syria are an advantage," said Ahmet Oksuz, a board member at Turkish textile manufacturer Kipas. "But Turkish and Syrian authorities should coordinate to establish organised industrial zones that will ensure entirely safe areas for manufacturers," he added. Questions of security in a country still awash with arms where the new central government wields only tenuous control remain at the top of the list of concerns for many would-be investors. Hakan Bucak, former Turkish-Syrian business council board director, said Syria will likely need six months to ensure security and set up bureaucratic systems. "Security risks should be fully eliminated and investors need to feel it," said Bucak, who is already looking to open a quarry near the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. "If we feel safe, we have plans to invest." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Germany arrests Syrian accused of crimes under Assad
An alleged former Syrian prison guard has been arrested in Germany on suspicion of committing crimes against humanity under former president Bashar al-Assad, prosecutors said Tuesday. The man, identified only as Fahad A., is accused of "acts of killing, torture and deprivation of liberty" while he worked in a Damascus facility run by Syrian intelligence in 2011 and 2012, during the Arab Spring protests. German authorities have pursued several suspects for crimes committed in Syria's civil war under the principle of universal jurisdiction, even after Assad's ouster last December. Prosecutors declined to give Fahad's age or the year he came to Germany but said he was arrested in the town of Pirmasens in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate. During his time at the Al-Khatib detention centre, also known as Branch 251, Fahad A. allegedly "took part in well over 100 interrogations where prisoners were subjected to severe physical abuse, for instance electrocution or beatings with cables", they said. "Following his superiors' orders, the suspect also harassed prisoners at night by, for example, hanging them from the ceiling, pouring cold water over them or forcing them to remain in uncomfortable positions," prosecutors allege. At least 70 prisoners are thought to have died due to such abuse and the "catastrophic" prison conditions. The alleged offences occurred in the years of the bloody repression of anti-Assad protests during the Arab Spring. "The objective was to suppress the protest movement from early on and to intimidate the population," prosecutors said. In 2022 former Syrian colonel Anwar Raslan was found guilty of overseeing the murders of 27 people and the torture of 4,000 others at the Al-Khatib centre in 2011 and 2012. That was the first international trial over state-sponsored torture in Syrian prisons and was hailed as "historic" by human rights activists. Europe's biggest economy, then ruled by chancellor Angela Merkel, granted safe haven to hundreds of thousands of Syrians during the 2015-16 refugee influx. NGOs warned at the time of the danger that people accused of atrocities against civilians for Assad's government were arriving incognito in Europe and obtaining asylum. An Islamist-led coalition toppled Assad in December after five decades of his family's iron-fisted rule and nearly 14 years of brutal war that killed more than half a million people and displaced millions more. jsk/fz/giv
