The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM): The Court’s Judgment Is an Important Step Toward Justice and Recognition of the Suffering of Survivors of Sexual Violence in Syria
The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) welcomes the Hague Court judgment issued on 15 June 2026, convicting Rafik A., the former head of the investigation department of the National Defence Forces (NDF) in the city of Salamiyah, on charges of complicity in torture, torture, and sexual violence as crimes against humanity, and sentencing him to 26 years of Imprisonment. This judgment represents an important milestone in efforts to ensure accountability for international crimes committed in Syria and constitutes a significant judicial recognition of the suffering endured by survivors who were subjected to grave violations within the detention centers operated by the National Defence Forces.
As part of its ongoing efforts to support justice and accountability for crimes committed in Syria, SCM contributed to investigations concerning violations committed by the National Defence Forces in the city of Salamiyah during 2013 and 2014. This work was undertaken in response to a request for information from European authorities responsible for investigating international crimes.
SCM’s Strategic Litigation Team prepared a comprehensive case file documenting violations committed in Salamiyah, the structure of the National Defence Forces, and individuals suspected of involvement in those violations. This work included engaging with /127/ residents of the city, reviewing testimonies, documents, and open-source information, and drawing on documentation held by SCM, including records from the Violations Documentation Center Project concerning arrests and violations linked to National Defence Forces facilities. SCM also developed a digital map identifying 15 National Defence Forces sites, facilities, and checkpoints in Salamiyah, with the aim of documenting the operational infrastructure within which the violations under investigation were committed.
These efforts resulted in the preparation of a judicial case file based on /14/ documented witness testimonies and an investigative inquiry. The file included information concerning a number of individuals suspected of involvement in serious violations, including Rafik A., whose name appeared in several documented testimonies detailing violations directly attributed to him. SCM emphasizes that this judgment would not have been possible without the courage of the survivors and witnesses who provided testimony before investigative authorities and the court, despite the painful and traumatic experiences they were required to revisit. Their testimonies played a crucial role in uncovering the truth about the violations committed and advancing accountability efforts to combat impunity.
The judgment also underscores the importance of the principle of universal jurisdiction as one of the key mechanisms available for prosecuting perpetrators of international crimes, particularly given the continued limitations on accountability efforts within Syria. Over recent years, European courts have provided one of the few avenues through which victims and survivors have been able to make their voices heard, seek justice, and obtain judicial recognition of the harm they suffered. This case is particularly significant as it constitutes an important precedent before Dutch courts in recognizing conflict-related sexual violence committed in Syria as a crime against humanity. This legal characterization confirms that such violations were not isolated or individual acts, but rather formed a part of a widespread and systematic attack directed against civilians.
SCM considers this judgment a reaffirmation of the vital role played by Syrian human rights organizations in documenting crimes, preserving evidence, and supporting international criminal investigations. It also highlights the critical value of cooperation among victims, survivors, human rights organizations, and judicial authorities in combating impunity. At the same time, SCM stresses that justice achieved before European courts, while important, cannot substitute for a comprehensive justice process within Syria. Survivors require not only the conviction of those responsible for violations, but also truth-seeking, official acknowledgment of the abuses they endured, reparations, and guarantees of non-recurrence. These objectives can only be fully achieved through a comprehensive Syrian-led transitional justice process.
SCM calls on the Syrian authorities to place accountability for serious crimes committed over the past years at the heart of the political transition process and to work toward establishing independent judicial institutions capable of holding perpetrators accountable and guaranteeing victims’ and survivors’ rights to truth, justice, and reparations. SCM also calls on states exercising universal jurisdiction to continue investigating international crimes committed in Syria and prosecuting those responsible, including crimes of sexual violence, torture, and enforced disappearance, while ensuring adequate support and protection for victims, survivors, and witnesses participating in these proceedings.
The judgment in the case of Rafik A. marks an important step along the long path toward justice. Although this step cannot erase the suffering of victims and survivors, it demonstrates that grave crimes are neither forgotten nor beyond accountability. SCM will continue its efforts to document violations, support victims and survivors, and advance pathways toward justice and accountability in pursuit of a Syria founded on rights, dignity, and the rule of law.
About the Case
Rafik A. was arrested in the Dutch city of Druten in December 2023 after obtaining temporary asylum status. According to the indictment, he served as head of the investigation department of the National Defence Forces in Salamiyah between 2013 and 2014.
The defendant faced 25 charges contained in three indictments, including complicity in torture, torture as a crime against humanity, and sexual violence as a crime against humanity against nine victims. Several survivors travelled to the Netherlands to testify directly before the court, while testimony from others was submitted through their legal representatives. The substantive hearings before the District Court of The Hague took place during April and May 2026, before the judgment was issued on 15 June 2026.
