With the conviction of two former members of the Syrian security apparatus, Austria's first trial addressing crimes committed under the Assad regime in Syria concludes today. Among those convicted is Khalid Al Halabi, the former head of Intelligence Branch 335 in Raqqa and the highest-ranking former Syrian regime official to have been arrested and brought to trial in Europe to date. He was sentenced to eight years in prison for, among other charges, torture, serious bodily harm, and sexual coercion. Between 2011 and 2013, he was responsible for the abuse of several detainees in detention facilities in Raqqa. The second defendant, Mussab Abou Rokbh, the former head of the criminal police in Raqqa, was also sentenced to eight years in prison for, among other charges, serious bodily harm and sexual coercion.
The Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office brought charges against Al Halabi and Abou Rokbh in November 2025, following years of delays within the Austrian justice system. The trial began on 1 June in Vienna.
"The fear they had tried to instill in us for years disappeared, replaced by the authority of justice. In that moment, I felt that I was not speaking only for myself, but carrying the voices of every disappeared person and every victim who died under torture in the cells of that security branch," said a survivor and co-plaintiff, who is supported by ECCHR. "Facing my persecutor in court was a victory for the dignity of the victims and a powerful reminder that the era of impunity has begun to crumble. Justice may be delayed, but it will come."
The proceedings were made possible above all through the tireless efforts of Syrian lawyers, survivors, civil society organisations, and war crimes units. Among the civil society organisations involved, ECCHR supported the investigations over the past several years and, through its cooperating lawyer Nadja Lorenz, ensured the participation of those affected in the proceedings.
ECCHR welcomes the judgment as a significant contribution on the path towards justice for the survivors of these crimes. "International criminal law cannot heal the world – but it is incredibly important in the process of coming to terms with the past crimes such as those committed by the Syrian regime. Its significance for torture survivors, whose testimonies are heard and officially documented in court for the first time, for their families, and for Syrian society as a whole can hardly be overstated," said Wolfgang Kaleck, Secretary General of ECCHR.
In April, the first trial since the fall of Assad began in Damascus against another senior regime official and Assad's cousin, Atef Najib, who was co-responsible for the violent suppression of protests in Daraa at the outset of the Syrian uprising. For millions of Syrians, these proceedings represent a long-awaited moment of recognition of the suffering and injustice they endured. At the same time, they raise important questions regarding accountability, as Syria has yet to establish a clear legal framework and a comprehensive foundation for transitional justice.
As long as the Syrian justice system is still being rebuilt and the political situation continues to be precarious, proceedings based on the principle of universal jurisdiction in Europe will remain of great importance. They show that legal accountability and truth-finding are possible, while at the same time securing evidence and findings that could also contribute to future proceedings in Syria.
ECCHR has been working in intensively since 2012 to address crimes in Syria through international criminal law.
Read more about our Syria work and the series Letter from Damascus by human rights lawyer and ECCHR Senior Legal Advisor, Joumana Seif.
