Paris, 4 June 2024 – On May 24, 2024, the Paris Criminal Court issued a life imprisonment sentence against three high-ranking Syrian security officials close to Bashar al-Assad: Major General Ali Mamlouk, Major General Jamil al-Hassan, and Brigadier General Abdel Salam Mahmoud. They were convicted of complicity in committing crimes against humanity and war crimes against the Syrian-French nationals Mazzen and Patrick Dabbagh.
This ruling came after four days of hearing testimonies from experts and survivors from the Investigation Branch of the Air Force Intelligence Department detention center at Mezzeh Airport. The evidence presented over eight years proved the responsibility of these officials for the crimes. Mazzen and Patrick were detained and forcibly disappeared in 2013. Death certificates were issued for them by the Syrian government in 2018, after they were killed as a result of torture and ill-treatment.
This trial is the first of its kind in France, holding high-level Syrian officials accountable for their crimes.
We, the undersigned Syrian civil society organizations and victims and survivors’ associations, welcome this ruling. It represents an important step on the path to justice and reaffirms the ongoing efforts to combat impunity until all perpetrators of violations in Syria are held accountable and the victims are given justice and adequate compensation.
We also extend our sincere thanks for the courage and determination shown by the witnesses and the Dabbagh family in reaching this ruling. We eagerly anticipate the day when Syrian men and women can seek justice in their own courts, for we believe that true justice is the foundation of the peace and stability we all aspire to achieve.
Signatories:
- Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR)
- Alsharq News
- Amal Healing and Advocacy Center
- Assyrian Society for Helping and Development
- Badael
- Baytna pour le soutien de la société civile
- Caesar Families Association
- chemical violations documentation center and research
- Deirna Organization
- Family of Truth and Justice
- Fraternity foundation for Human Rights-FFHR
- Free Syrian lawyers Association -FSLA
- Global Organization for Civil Society (GLOCA)
- Humanitarian care charity
- Justice for peace
- LACU
- Lawyers and Doctors for Human Rights LDHR
- Local Development and Small-Projects Support (LDSPS)
- Local Development Organization
- MAHABAD ORGANIZATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS MOHR
- Mizan organisation for Legal Research and Human Rights
- MPFG
- Multifaith Alliance
- Musawa
- Observatory of Political and Economic Networks
- Office of the Wounded and Missing Persons Affairs
- Pro-justice
- PÊL- Civil Waves
- SADAD Humanitarian Organization
- SOBH CULTURAL TEAM
- Synergy Association for Victims
- syria spring team
- Syrian Archive
- Syrian British Consortium
- Syrian center for legal studies and research
- Syrian Center for Policy Research
- Syrian Community Romania
- Syrian Forum
- Syrian Network for Human Rights – SNHR
- Syrians for Truth and Justice
- Tastakel
- The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM)
- The Syrian Legal Development Programme
- The White Helmets
- Together For Algarniya
- union of free syrian students
- Union of Revolutionary Bureaus
- We Dared to Dream “Action for Sama”
- Women Now for Development
- Zoom in Association
