A former general and a former Syrian police officer will hear today in Vienna whether they have been found guilty of torturing opponents of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
The trial is the latest to see suspects from the Syrian civil war tried in European courts under the legal tool of universal jurisdiction, allowing judges to rule on alleged serious crimes committed abroad.
Khaled al-Halabi, 63, a former intelligence services brigadier general who has been in pre-trial detention since 2024, is charged with torture, aggravated coercion, sexual coercion, as well as multiple counts of serious bodily harm.
Musab Abu Rukbah, 54, a former local police lieutenant colonel, is accused of serious bodily harm, aggravated coercion and sexual coercion in the city of Raqa between April 2011 and March 2013.
Both pleaded not guilty at the start of their trial beginning in June and face up to 10 years in prison.
Syrian officials have also faced trials in France, Germany, Sweden and Belgium for alleged crimes committed during the country’s civil war.
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From the Liveblog of
Monday, July 6, 2026
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