A Syrian doctor has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a German court for committing crimes against humanity, including torture and murder, during Syria’s civil war. Dr Alaa Mousa, aged 40, was found guilty by the higher regional court in Frankfurt of inflicting severe abuse on detainees between 2011 and 2012, while working at a military hospital and intelligence detention centre in Homs and Damascus. His victims were opponents of the regime of Bashar al-Assad during the early stages of the Arab Spring uprisings.
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The court ruled that Mousa, a supporter of Assad, was responsible for the deaths of two individuals and the severe torture of at least eight others. He was described by presiding judge Christoph Koller as “sadistic” and someone who “enjoyed harming people he considered inferior”.
Koller stated that Mousa had “seriously injured nine people, both physically and mentally, and killed two”. The trial, which lasted over three years and spanned nearly 190 days of hearings, relied heavily on testimonies from more than 50 witnesses—many of whom had endured graphic and prolonged abuse.
According to evidence heard in court, Mousa beat and kicked prisoners, set broken bones without adequate anaesthesia, and doused victims in flammable liquids before setting them alight. In one case, a 14-year-old boy suffered burns to his genitals. Another victim was fatally injected with poison in front of fellow inmates while attempting to defend himself. One particularly harrowing account detailed how Mousa assaulted a young man suffering from epilepsy, knowing of his condition, which subsequently worsened. The doctor later administered a pill that led to the man’s death in the presence of his brother.
Judge Koller commended the bravery of those who testified, highlighting the vital role they played in achieving justice. “Without their courage to relive the trauma of their past, this verdict would not have been possible,” he said.
Senior public prosecutor Anna Zabeck acknowledged the challenges witnesses faced, revealing that many had been subjected to threats and intimidation to deter them from speaking out. Prosecutor Christina Schlepp dismissed defence claims that the case was a conspiracy, stating there was no indication witnesses sought to falsely incriminate Mousa.
Throughout the proceedings, Mousa often sat in silence with his head bowed. He denied all charges, claiming he was the target of a politically motivated plot and had not been present in Homs during the time of the killings.
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After fleeing Syria, Mousa settled in Germany in 2015, where he worked as an orthopaedic doctor at several clinics, including a hospital in Bad Wildungen, Hesse. He was arrested in 2020 after some of his victims recognised him in a documentary on Syria and alerted the authorities. Under the principle of universal jurisdiction, German courts have the authority to prosecute war crimes committed abroad, regardless of the nationality of the perpetrators or victims.
The federal prosecution had requested a life sentence with subsequent preventive detention, arguing Mousa posed a continued threat to society. In Germany, life imprisonment typically equates to 15 years, but preventive detention allows for indefinite incarceration based on risk assessments.
Despite the defence’s request for an acquittal on the murder charges, the court found the evidence overwhelming. Mousa’s conviction marks one of the most significant cases involving crimes committed by Assad regime affiliates tried outside Syria.
