The Austrian Public Prosecutor’s Office has formally charged two former officials of the Bashar al-Assad regime with war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Raqqa, Syria, between 2011 and 2013.

The accused include a former brigadier general in Syrian intelligence and a former head of Raqqa’s local investigative department, holding the rank of lieutenant colonel. Both are alleged to have personally participated in acts of torture, sexual assault, and physical abuse against detainees during the regime’s campaign to suppress protests. Austrian authorities reported that 21 victims have been identified to date.

The two men applied for asylum in Austria in 2015 and have been residing in the country since. If convicted, they could each face up to ten years in prison under Austrian law.

Austria hosts one of Europe’s largest Syrian communities, with approximately 100,000 Syrians residing in the country. The case reflects a broader European effort to pursue accountability for crimes committed during Syria’s civil war, particularly in light of the atrocities carried out under the Assad regime, which led to the deaths of more than half a million people and displaced millions.

The prosecution is being conducted under Austria’s principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows national courts to try crimes against humanity and war crimes regardless of where they were committed or the nationality of the perpetrators. Similar trials have been held in Germany, France, and Sweden, targeting former Syrian officials accused of systematic torture, extrajudicial killings, and other human rights violations.

Austrian authorities emphasized that the case aims to deliver justice for victims and to uphold international legal standards, sending a clear message that crimes committed during the Syrian conflict will not go unpunished, even beyond the country’s borders. (ILKHA)