A pro-regime fighter in Syria's civil war has been found guilty of torturing prisoners and sentenced to jail by a Dutch court.
Prosecutors said Mustafa A. was to blame for two civilians being dragged from their homes and violently tortured in Syria in 2013.
Dutch investigators described Mustafa A. as a "loyal ally" of President Bashar Al Assad's regime who left Syria for the Netherlands in 2019.
Mustafa A. admitted being part of a pro-government militia called Liwa al-Quds that allegedly had close ties to Syrian intelligence.
He denied involvement in war crimes but was convicted by a court in The Hague and sentenced to 12 years in prison. Prosecutors had sought a 17-year term.
It is the first Dutch war crimes case involving an ally of Syria's regime, after earlier proceedings were brought against ISIS supporters or other militants.
They are brought under a "universal jurisdiction" that means people can be prosecuted outside Syria if the suspect is in the Netherlands or a Dutch citizen was involved.
Police tip-off
Mustafa A. successfully claimed asylum upon arriving in the Netherlands in 2019.
However, he was arrested in May 2022 after Dutch police were tipped off about his links to the militia, which grew out of a Palestinian refugee camp near Aleppo.
Dutch authorities said he was involved when a civilian was arrested in January 2013 and detained by Syrian air force intelligence.
Prosecutors said they were "convinced that he knew from his position" that people captured would be tortured in custody.
A second victim was jailed and tortured around the same time, the court heard, with one left in a coma and another unable to walk for a year.
Mustafa A. declined to answer questions in court but prosecutors said there was "ample evidence" of his guilt.
They said detectives had tapped his phone and found pictures that showed him in the company of Liwa al-Quds commanders.
The militia "played an important role for the regime, by keeping the civilian population under control and the regime in power", prosecutors said.
Mustafa A. was "not some inconspicuous follower" of the militia but "took up a management position within the organisation", they said.
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A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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Admission: Free
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How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
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