By : News Editor
JD - A former Syrian official is facing charges of murder and torture in London, accused of committing crimes against humanity in connection with attacks on civilians in Syria, British media reported.
The 58-year-old man, who resides in the United Kingdom, is alleged to have been involved in the suppression of protests in the suburbs of Damascus during the early stages of the Syrian uprising.
London’s Metropolitan Police have not released the name of the accused. The charges relate to his time working within the Syrian Air Force intelligence apparatus in Damascus.
He is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court. He faces three counts of murder as crimes against humanity, three counts of torture, and one count related to conduct associated with murder as a crime against humanity.
This marks the first trial of its kind in the UK, following an investigation by the War Crimes Unit of the Counter Terrorism Policing network.
British authorities have charged the former Syrian official with murder as a crime against humanity under the International Criminal Court Act of 2001.
“These are very serious allegations and demonstrate our total support for the UK policy of ‘no safe haven’ for suspected war criminals,” stated Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing.
Flanagan added, “When we are presented with allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity within our jurisdiction, as we have shown here, we will not hesitate to investigate them thoroughly and robustly.”
