PARIS (AP) — The landmark trial of three former Syrian intelligence officials began Tuesday at a Paris court for the alleged torture and killing of a French-Syrian father and son who were arrested over a decade ago, during the height of Arab Spring-inspired anti-government protests.
International warrants have been issued for the defendants, being tried in absentia.
The father Mazen Dabbagh and his son, Patrick, were arrested in the Syrian capital, Damascus, in 2013, following a crackdown on demonstrations that later turned into a brutal civil war, now in its 14th year. The probe into their disappearance started in 2015 when Obeida Dabbagh, Mazen’s brother, testified to investigators already examining war crimes in Syria.
The four-day hearings come as Syria’s President Bashar Assad has started to shed his longtime status as a pariah that stemmed from the violence unleashed on his opponents. Human rights groups involved in the case hope it will refocus attention on alleged atrocities.
Progressive prosecutor in Portland, Oregon, seeks to fend off tough
HKSAR LegCo unanimously passes milestone bill to better safeguard national security
Jazz singer set to invoke the sound of the steppes
DPRK rules out summit with Japan, rejects more contacts: KCNA
What to stream: Lenny Kravitz, South Park, 'Dune: Part 2'
China remains top merchandise exporter in 2023 for 7th straight year
Jazz singer set to invoke the sound of the steppes
China unveils plan on equipment renewal, trading
Weather forecasters warn Pakistanis to stay indoors ahead of new heat wave
Liverpool falls silent to mark 35th anniversary of Hillsborough disaster: Ninety