The Federal Prosecutor’s Office has filed charges against former Syrian vice president and ex-official Rifaat al Assad. She accuses the man of crimes against humanity and war crimes. It’s about acts from 1982.
As commander of the so-called defense brigades, the suspect allegedly ordered killings, torture, cruel treatment and unlawful detention during attacks on the population in the city of Hama, the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (BA) announced on Tuesday. Rifaat al-Assad was vice president of Syria from 1984 to 1998.
The BA initiated criminal proceedings against him in December 2013 based on a complaint from the non-governmental organization Trial International. A police check revealed that Al-Assad was in Switzerland at the time.
International arrest warrant
He is currently outside Switzerland, the BA writes at the request of the Keystone-SDA news agency. At the end of November 2021, Switzerland issued an international arrest warrant for the suspect. According to information from BA, this is still in effect. If arrested, the Federal Office of Justice would file an extradition request.
The BA procedure is based on the principle of universality and the non-statute of war crimes. Under this principle, the judiciary can prosecute war crimes regardless of the crime scene and the citizenship of the victims or perpetrators.
Under certain circumstances, criminal law allows criminal charges to be brought if the suspect is not in Switzerland. A trial in absentia is also possible. Several victims act as plaintiffs in the criminal proceedings.
Atrocities against the population
The acts took place as part of an armed conflict between the Syrian armed forces and Islamist insurgents – namely the armed wing of the Muslim Brotherhood – in Hama in February 1982. The conflict is estimated to have claimed between 3,000 and 60,000 lives – the majority of them civilians .
In early February 1982, Syrian security forces were sent to Hama to put down the uprising. The operation would have ended at the end of February. Under the command of Rifaat al Assad, the defense brigades would have been primarily responsible for the crackdown.
According to witness accounts, several thousand civilians were victims of various attacks, ranging from immediate execution to torture and imprisonment in specially established centers.
Execution warrant issued
In the indictment, the BA accuses Rifaat al Assad, as responsible for the operation and commander of the defense brigades, of ordering several violations of martial law provisions. She bases this on Swiss military criminal law and the Geneva Convention.
He is said to have ordered his troops to comb the city and execute its inhabitants. The suspect is alleged to have participated in murder, torture, cruel treatment and unlawful imprisonment. According to the BA, the murders can be classified as crimes against humanity.
The CA submits its criminal requests during the main hearing at the Federal Criminal Court. A date had not yet been announced on Tuesday. The suspect is presumed innocent until a final verdict is delivered. (saw/sda)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
