A Pro Forma Hearing Held on 15 July 2026 Precedes the Expected Commencement of Substantive Trial Hearings Before Dutch Courts in September.

Paris, 20 July 2026

On 15 July 2026, the District Court of Rotterdam in the Netherlands held a Pro Forma Hearing, marking an important procedural step toward the commencement of substantive trial proceedings against the suspect identified as (al-A), which are expected to begin in September 2026. The forthcoming hearings will examine the facts, evidence, and charges brought against the defendant.

The case concerns a suspect arrested by the Dutch National Police’s Team International Misdrijven (TIM) in the town of Arkel, in southern Netherlands, on 17 January 2023. He is suspected of having held a leadership position within the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) in southern Damascus (the Yarmouk Camp area and surrounding neighborhoods) between 2013 and 2018, and of involvement in serious international crimes committed during the conflict in Syria.

Available information indicates that the case will focus on his alleged leadership role within ISIS and his purported responsibility for violations attributed to him. The final charges will be set out in the official indictment, the final version of which has not yet been announced by the Public Prosecution Service.

This case forms part of a broader series of proceedings before European courts exercising universal jurisdiction over crimes committed in Syria.

The last hearing held on 15 July was the final pro forma hearing, and was limited to reviewing procedural matters related to the substantive hearings. It did not address the merits of the case or discuss the indictment. During the substantive trial hearings, the Court is expected to examine and assess the evidence in accordance with Dutch criminal law and international law standards and to hear the parties’ submissions.

In June 2020, the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) submitted a complaint file to the Dutch War Crimes Unit based on evidence, testimonies, and documentation collected by SCM’s Strategic Litigation Team, following information received from activists in southern Damascus indicating that the suspect was en route to Europe.

The information gathered by SCM contributed to the opening of an investigation by the competent Dutch authorities, as the complaint and witness statements documented the suspect’s alleged leadership role within ISIS and the serious violations attributed to him against civilians in southern Damascus.

This trial comes more than six years after SCM began documenting the case and submitted the complaint, and more than three years after the suspect’s arrest in the Netherlands. The case has now entered its most significant judicial phase, with substantive proceedings before the competent court approaching.

SCM reiterates the importance of continued efforts by national judicial authorities to prosecute perpetrators of international crimes on the basis of universal jurisdiction, as one of the most important legal mechanisms for ensuring accountability when justice cannot be achieved in the Islamic state where the crimes were committed. Such efforts contribute to combating impunity, providing redress to victims, and strengthening prospects for justice.

Substantive hearings are expected to commence in September 2026. Preliminary hearing dates have been scheduled for 14, 16, and 17 September, in addition to a fourth hearing tentatively planned for either 21 or 23 September in Rotterdam, according to the current procedural timetable. These dates remain subject to change by the Court.

The transition of the case to the substantive trial stage marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of accountability for international crimes committed in Syria. This stage will enable the court to examine evidence and hear witnesses and legal arguments, paving the way for a determination of the defendant’s liability in accordance with the principles of a fair trial and the rule of law, while affirming that the defendant enjoys full defense rights and the presumption of innocence until a final judicial judgment is rendered.