Ex-Syrian intelligence chief found guilty of torture and sexual abuse by Austrian court

An Austrian court in Vienna has convicted two former Syrian officials for their roles in torturing and sexually abusing opponents of Bashar al-Assad. Khaled al-H., a former intelligence chief in Raqqa from 2011 to 2013, was found guilty of torture, sexual coercion, aggravated coercion, and inflicting serious bodily harm. Moussab Abou R., the former police chief in Raqqa, was also convicted of abusing political opponents, including sexual coercion, aggravated coercion, and inflicting serious bodily harm. Both men were sentenced to eight years in prison. This trial represents a rare instance of a European nation asserting jurisdiction over crimes committed by Syrian government agents.

A former Syrian intelligence officer, Khaled al-Halabi, has been convicted of torture in Austria and sentenced to eight years in prison. The court in Vienna found al-Halabi, a 63-year-old former brigadier general, responsible for the abuse of detainees in Raqqa between 2011 and 2013, despite his denial of involvement. A second defendant, Musab Abu Rukbah, also received an eight-year sentence. Over a dozen victims testified about beatings, electrocution, and other forms of torture during al-Halabi's leadership of the General Intelligence Directorate in Raqqa. The court determined that al-Halabi was aware of and accountable for the torture of prisoners in his custody. This case represents one of the few instances where a European country has prosecuted Syrian state agents for alleged crimes.