Assad Regime Faces Trial for Civil War Atrocities in Paris Court

At the Paris Criminal Court, the first trial in French history related to crimes committed by the Bashar al-Assad regime against Syrian citizens begins. The case concerns the role of security chiefs in the disappearance and murder of Mazen Dabag and his son Patrick. Despite not being involved in opposition activities, they were arrested in 2013 and taken to the Air Force Intelligence Investigation Center located at one of the air bases.

According to UN estimates, about half a million people died during the civil war, and millions became refugees. Charges have been brought against former head of the National Security Service Ali Mamlouk, former head of Air Force intelligence Jamil Hasan and former head of the investigative department of Air Force intelligence Abd al-Salam Mahmoud. All three defendants are tried in absentia.

The father was a teacher, and the son was a student of the humanities faculty. They were subjected to severe torture at the Air Force Intelligence Investigation Center before their death in 2018. Relatives were informed of their death after years without any news or information about their whereabouts.

The trial is expected to shed light on the human rights abuses committed by Assad’s regime during its eight-year reign in Syria. The case will also be closely watched by international organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, who have accused Assad’s forces of committing war crimes against Syrian citizens.