The Rotterdam District Court will hear the criminal case against a 37-year-old Syrian man who allegedly served between 2014 and 2018 in a leadership role within the security apparatus of the Islamic State (ISIS) in or around the Yarmouk refugee camp in southern Damascus. In that capacity, he is alleged to have committed international crimes, including membership in a terrorist and criminal organization, and complicity in war crimes against civilians.
Since March 2020, the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) led investigation and tracking efforts regarding the suspect upon receiving information about his arrival in the Netherlands. As part of its ongoing efforts to support international justice and accountability for crimes committed in Syria, SCM played a pivotal role by preparing and submitting a comprehensive complaint file to the Dutch War Crimes Unit in mid-2020. The file included 11 testimonies from witnesses and victims, open-source intelligence (OSINT), and documentation detailing the suspect's involvement in grave violations.
The substantive hearing of the case will take place on the following dates:
- September 2026 | On 14, 16, 17, and 23.
The livestream for the court sessions will start on the 14th of September 2026, and will be available in: Dutch, English, and Arabic. Registration for the livestream is mandatory.
You can register by sending an email in advance to: livestream.lech.rb-den-haag@rechtspraak.nl, including your name and the language of preference. You will then receive a link to the selected livestream.
The prosecution's closing arguments and sentencing demands are expected to be delivered on 16 September 2026.