Three senior officials of the Syrian regime, who were tried in absentia in France for complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes, have been sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday, May 24. The Paris Court of Assizes also ordered the maintenance of the international arrest warrants for Ali Mamlouk, former head of the National Security Bureau, the highest intelligence body in Syria, Jamil Hassan, former director of the Air Force Intelligence Services, and Abdel Salam Mahmoud, former director of the investigations branch of these services. The three men were found guilty of playing a role in the forced disappearance and death of Mazzen Dabbagh and his son Patrick, both Franco-Syrian individuals who were arrested in Damascus in 2013 and have not been seen since, eventually declared dead in August 2018.
The investigations conducted by the crimes against humanity department of the Paris judicial tribunal established that Mazzen and Patrick Dabbagh had been subjected to torture and died as a result. Beyond their case, the trial shed light on the massive and systematic abuses committed by the Syrian regime against its civilian population, which sparked debates in this unprecedented trial in French justice history. The acts suffered by Mazzen and Patrick Dabbagh “fit into a context in which dozens, if not hundreds of thousands, of Syrians can recognize themselves,” the prosecutor emphasized. She argued that the Assad regime was conducting a state repression policy, implemented by the highest levels of the hierarchy and carried out locally in each governorate. The accused, as well as Bashar Al-Assad, were seen as “the architects of this system” and were therefore sentenced for complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The role of the accused in the disappearance and death of the Dabbagh family members was further emphasized during the trial, highlighting the brutality and inhumanity of the actions taken by the regime against its own citizens. The trial marked a significant step towards holding individuals accountable for their roles in perpetrating violence and human rights abuses in Syria. The accountability for such crimes, even in a court located outside of Syria, sends a strong signal that perpetrators will be held responsible for their actions, regardless of where they occur. The use of international law and mechanisms to seek justice for victims of human rights violations plays a crucial role in promoting accountability and ensuring that those responsible are held to account.
The sentencing of the three senior officials of the Syrian regime to life imprisonment demonstrates a commitment to upholding justice and accountability for crimes committed against humanity. The international arrest warrants maintained for the accused individuals also signal a continued effort to ensure that those responsible for grave human rights violations are brought to justice. The recognition of the complicity of individuals at the highest levels of the Syrian regime in crimes against humanity and war crimes sets a precedent for future accountability efforts and sends a strong message that such actions will not be tolerated.
The trial in Paris has drawn attention to the widespread and systematic nature of the human rights abuses perpetrated by the Syrian regime, highlighting the need for continued efforts to bring perpetrators to justice and ensure accountability for their actions. The recognition of the complicity of senior officials in the regime in crimes against humanity and war crimes underscores the importance of holding individuals accountable for their roles in committing atrocities. The sentencing of the three officials to life imprisonment serves as a warning to those who engage in human rights abuses that they will be held accountable for their actions, no matter how high their position in the hierarchy. This trial represents a significant step towards ensuring justice for the victims of human rights violations in Syria and bringing perpetrators to account for their crimes against humanity.
