US charges ex-Syrian officials with war crimes over torture of detainees

The United States has unveiled an indictment against two former senior officials of the Syrian Air Force Intelligence, accusing them of war crimes and inhumane acts during the Syrian Civil War.

Jamil Hassan, the former director of Syrian Air Force Intelligence (SAFI), and Abdul Salam Mahmoud, a brigadier general, face charges of orchestrating and overseeing systematic torture, including against U.S. citizens, at the notorious Mezzeh military airbase prison in Damascus.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the indictment is based on violations of 18 USC §§ 2441(a) and (d)(1)(B), which prohibit acts of torture and cruel treatment under war crimes statutes. These charges highlight a grim chapter of the Syrian conflict, which began in 2011 as an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime before devolving into an armed struggle marked by widespread human rights abuses.

Hassan and Mahmoud are accused of running a network of detention facilities, including the infamous Mezzeh Prison, where detainees—ranging from political protesters and aid workers to journalists and military defectors—were subjected to brutal treatment. According to the indictment, acts of torture included beatings with hoses and pipes, electrocution, the removal of toenails, and other forms of severe physical and psychological abuse.

Victims were reportedly forced to endure horrific conditions, witnessing the suffering of fellow detainees, hearing their screams, and even seeing dead bodies within the facility. “These abuses weren’t isolated incidents,” the indictment states, alleging the crimes were part of a calculated strategy to suppress dissent against Assad’s regime.

The indictment also accuses the two officials of concealing these crimes by misleading investigators and covering up the actions of their subordinates. Both men are said to have held significant authority over SAFI operations and the treatment of prisoners, enabling a culture of fear and terror within the detention system.

This case underscores the U.S. government’s commitment to pursuing justice for victims of war crimes, regardless of where they occur. As legal proceedings move forward, the indictment serves as a stark reminder of the enduring scars left by Syria’s civil war and the global effort to hold perpetrators accountable.