Germany: The Higher Regional Court in Düsseldorf Issues Verdict Against Two Individuals Affiliated with ISIS
Paris – The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) welcomes the verdict issued by the Higher Regional Court in Düsseldorf – State Security Senate – on 18 September 2025, against two Syrian nationals, Mohammad A. (40) and Ismail K. (35), following their conviction for membership in a foreign terrorist organization (the so-called Islamic State – ISIS). The court sentenced the first defendant to seven years in prison, and the second to six years.
According to the court’s findings, Mohammad A. joined the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) in southern Damascus in 2013, along with members of the armed unit he commanded, known as the “Katiba al-Shaheed Abu Ubaida” (the Martyr Abu Ubaida Brigade). He initially operated covertly for the organization, gathering intelligence on its opponents, before later becoming a local commander of ISIS in southern Damascus, overseeing, among other tasks, a checkpoint belonging to the organization.
Ismail K. also joined ISIS in 2013 in southern Damascus as a fighter and became a member of a special unit responsible, among other duties, for carrying out executions.
The German authorities arrested the two defendants in 2023: Mohammad A. was detained in Wiesbaden on 8 March 2023, and Ismail K. was arrested in Essen on 22 March 2023, following lengthy investigations conducted by the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office for War Crimes, in cooperation with the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) and other entities.
The SCM, responding to requests from victims and their families, and based on an official request from the German Federal War Crimes Office, contributed to the preparation of both case files, which included evidence and testimonies from victims and witnesses, as well as open-source materials. These demonstrated that the two suspects had served as ISIS commanders in southern Damascus between 2013 and 2018, and had committed serious human rights violations.
On 26 April 2022, the War Crimes Office in Berlin heard testimony from three members of the SCM’s Strategic Litigation Project team regarding the methodology used in preparing the files and the evidence provided by the center. On 6 July 2022, the SCM received an official notice from the German police announcing the opening of the investigation, which was followed by the arrest of the defendants and the initiation of criminal proceedings in March 2023.
The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression welcomes the measures taken by the German authorities against the defendants and reiterates its commitment to combating impunity, in pursuit of justice and redress for victims of killings, abductions, torture, and enforced disappearances, as well as all other violations that have taken place in Syria over the past years. The center also stresses the importance of prosecuting perpetrators affiliated with all parties to the conflict who have committed crimes against Syrians.
Commenting on the verdict, Mazen Darwish, lawyer and Director of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression, stated:
“This verdict marks an important step forward in the pursuit of international justice and the consolidation of the principle of universal jurisdiction. It reaffirms that the crimes committed in Syria will not go unpunished, and that justice is not defined by affiliations or positions, but by evidence and respect for victims’ rights. The commitment of European courts to hold accountable perpetrators from all sides demonstrates that the rule of law can indeed reach everyone, and that justice is not a political slogan but a living legal process for protecting human dignity. This path has shown that civil society organizations are no longer on the margins of justice but have become active contributors to its mechanisms — helping to uncover the truth, empower victims, and combat impunity.”
The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression also welcomes the establishment of the National Commission for Transitional Justice in Syria (NCTJ), emphasizing its pivotal role in promoting the principles of justice and accountability for the crimes and violations committed in the country over the past years.
The SCM calls for greater coordination and complementarity between national Syrian courts and international judicial mechanisms, to ensure a unified path toward comprehensive justice, redress for victims, and strengthened public trust in judicial institutions as a cornerstone for building a state based on the rule of law and citizenship.
