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Two former high-ranking Syrian military officers, Jamil Hassan and Abdul Salam Mahmoud, have been indicted on war crimes charges in the United States for allegedly torturing American citizens during their time in President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The charges accuse them of conspiring to commit war crimes by inflicting cruel and inhuman treatment on detainees at the Mezzeh Military Airport near Damascus. A warrant has been issued for their arrest, and if found guilty, they could face life in prison. The indictment details various acts of torture, including beating, electrocution, hanging by wrists, and threats of rape and death.
The U.S. is the latest country to issue a warrant against the two former officers, following Germany in 2018. The indictment highlights the systematic use of torture and cruelty on perceived enemies of the Syrian regime, including American citizens, between 2012 and 2019. Jamil Hassan, as the director of Syrian Air Force Intelligence, oversaw a network of jails with Mezzeh Prison being a key location for torture. Abdul Salam Mahmoud, a Brigadier General, directed operations at Mezzeh.
The indictment states that detainees in their custody, including American citizens, were subjected to brutal treatment such as beatings, electrocutions, acid burns, and removal of toenails. The charges reflect the wider human rights abuses committed under Assad’s regime during the long and bloody Syrian civil war. The U.S. Justice Department is determined to hold perpetrators of such atrocities accountable, with Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasizing the need for justice against those responsible for heinous crimes.
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