Paris – 27 March 2026

The trial of (M. S.), a 55-year-old Swedish-Palestinian-Syrian national, concluded in Sweden on 23 March 2026. He faced charges related to the commission of serious war crimes during the armed conflict in Syria.

The trial proceedings commenced on 20 October 2025, following an indictment issued by the Swedish Prosecution Authority against the suspect on charges related to the commission of war crimes. These charges stem from actions allegedly committed in the Yarmouk Camp, south of Damascus, including his participation in a violent attack on a peaceful demonstration on 13 July 2012, which resulted in the death and injury of several civilians. Furthermore, the suspect is charged with managing a checkpoint and participating in the arrest and handover of civilians to the Syrian security apparatus، where they were subjected to severe suffering and, in many cases, death، during the first half of 2013, in the context of the siege imposed on the camp by the Syrian regime and its loyalist armed groups.

As part of its ongoing efforts to support international justice and accountability for crimes committed in Syria, the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), through its Strategic Litigation Team, has played a pivotal role in supporting this case, as follows:

• Preparing a comprehensive documentation file on the suspect in response to an official request from the Swedish authorities received by the Center on 25 April 2023. The file was subsequently submitted to the competent Swedish authorities on 10 October 2023.
• Conducting an analysis of the chain of command and control within the so-called ‘Free Palestine Movement,’ which included identifying several leadership figures, their positions, and their roles within the organizational structure.
• Providing direct support to the judicial proceedings through two official testimonies delivered by our colleague, Khaled Ghossen, Director of the Information Unit in SCM’s Strategic Litigation Project. Upon official invitation, he presented the Center’s methodology and its mechanisms for reaching witnesses and victims on two occasions:

• First, on 28 April 2025, before the Swedish investigators and the public prosecutor;
• Second, on 3 March 2026, before the Solna District Court in Sweden.

In conducting the investigations and preparing the shared files, the Center relied on a rigorous, multi-source documentation methodology. This included primary sources and open-source materials, with information verified and cross-referenced across multiple sources to ensure accuracy and credibility. The Center documented seven testimonies from witnesses and victims among the residents of Yarmouk Camp who had direct knowledge of the suspect. These provided information regarding his affiliation with the ‘Free Palestine Movement’ and his role in the alleged violations. Furthermore, the analyzed open-source materials included written content, videos, photographs, and social media posts, all of which underwent analysis and verification processes in accordance with international documentation standards.

The investigations in this case, according to the Swedish Prosecution Authority, also relied on extensive international cooperation, including Germany and several other European countries, with the support of Eurojust. This was further strengthened by contributions from the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) for Syria, as well as a review of reports issued by United Nations bodies and civil society organizations.

This effort is part of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression’s commitment to documenting gross human rights violations, supporting accountability efforts, and contributing to the prosecution of perpetrators within available legal frameworks. The verdict in this case is expected to be issued on 4 May 2026.