Syrian "Torture General" in Vienna: Indictment Welcomed by Victim's Lawyer

The accused are charged with the most serious human rights violations. One of them was ironically supported by the domestic intelligence service in 2015.

Khaleb Al H. was the head of Department 335 of the Syrian intelligence service from at least 2009 until March 2013. From April 2011 to March 2013, employees of this Department 335, under his command, allegedly arrested and interrogated suspected sympathizers of the opposition and violently suppressed anti-government protests, according to the accusation.

According to statements from former detainees, the prisoners were subjected to extreme psychological abuse and were regularly and systematically tortured through beatings, electric shocks, and the use of primitive instruments intended to cause severe pain. Furthermore, the beatings and interrogations are said to have often taken place in the office of the first accused, sometimes in his presence and occasionally with his direct involvement.

Charges as "Deterrence Against Serious Human Rights Violations"

The charges against the highest-ranking former Syrian intelligence officer arrested in Europe are a major success and were only possible thanks to the efforts of the victims and witnesses, said Urdaneta Wittek from the Centre for the Enforcement of Human Rights International (CEHRI) in an interview with the APA. "These charges serve as a deterrent against serious human rights violations." Steve Kostas, a lawyer coordinating the justice campaign, added: "The eighteen survivors we have supported are looking forward to the day they can face their tormentors in court." And further: "These cases underscore the persistence of Syrian survivors, activists, and investigators demanding justice for the atrocities of the Assad regime."

The second accused was the head of investigations in the criminal police department in the city of Raqqa between 2011 and 2013. He and his employees were responsible for the interrogation of prisoners and the execution of acts of torture, which the second accused often carried out himself according to several witness statements. The two are accused, among other things, of serious bodily harm, sexual coercion, and torture. So far, according to the public prosecutor's office, 21 victims have been identified.

Years of Work

The charges are the result of nine years of intensive work by Syrian and international groups, including CEHRI, who have collected evidence of the crimes committed by the two men, including testimonies from survivors, to support the investigations of the Austrian prosecutor's office.

Austria is only the second country in Europe to hold former intelligence officers criminally accountable for crimes related to state-sponsored torture since the start of the civil war in Syria, thus fulfilling its international legal responsibilities, according to CEHRI. The case not only provides a platform for survivors to seek justice but also reinforces the principle that those responsible for atrocities are held accountable regardless of their rank or location. It also serves as a reminder that "universal jurisdiction in addressing Syrian crimes remains significant even after the fall of the Assad regime."

Foreign states must continue to do their part in identifying and prosecuting high-ranking perpetrators of international crimes in Syria, according to the NGO, especially when perpetrators seek protection from prosecution in European countries or - as in this case - "Austria brings one of the alleged perpetrators to Austria in a special operation by the then BVT."

Trial over "Operation White Milk" ended in acquittals

The now-dissolved Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism (BVT) agreed with a foreign partner service in May 2015 to bring Khaleb Al H. from France to Austria. He was received by BVT officers at the Austrian border, chauffeured to Vienna in a service vehicle, accommodated in the federal capital, and financially supported. Subsequently, BVT representatives even assisted the Syrian officer with his asylum procedure and endeavored to help him obtain a right to stay.

According to findings by the Economic and Corruption Prosecutor's Office (WKStA), the cooperation agreement named "White Milk" was primarily concluded by the then BVT department head Martin Weiss, who has since gone into hiding in Dubai. An international arrest warrant has been issued for Weiss because he is alleged to have co-organized the hasty escape of former Wirecard manager Jan Marsalek from Bad Vöslau airport to Russia. For three former BVT officers and one from the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum (BFA), the trial for abuse of office ended in acquittal in 2023. However, Weiss was already unreachable for the judiciary at that time and did not attend the main hearing. The now first-indicted general was summoned as a witness at the time but remained reticent. He stated, "I fear for my life and that of my family," at the Vienna Regional Criminal Court.

(APA/Red)

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