Assault on Syrian judge in Aleppo leads to fears about integrity of legal system

Security personnel accused of detaining and beating Judge Ahmad Haskal as he investigated murder in Aleppo

Anti-government fighters at the palace of justice in the old city of Aleppo in January 2016, during Syria's civil war. Reuters

An assault on a judge in Aleppo, Syria’s business capital, has raised questions about the integrity of the country’s legal system as the authorities seek to attract investment.

Judge Ahmad Haskal wrote in a WhatsApp group page for lawyers, which was seen by The National, that he was detained, stripped, and beaten with a pipe at the Salhine police station in Aleppo after being called on Monday for questioning in a murder investigation.

He was released later that day after the Ministry of Justice intervened.

The alleged assault occurred after the judge insisted that the body in the case be handed to a coroner.

The security forces, however, had transferred it to a municipal mortuary and objected to the ruling. He said that as he was beaten he was taunted with the term "Shabbih” – a reference to the militia loyal to former president Bashar Al Assad and notorious for its violence during the civil war.

The Ministry of Justice condemned the attack, saying that a formal complaint has been filed with the Ministry of Interior.

It also rejected claims that Mr Haskal was affiliated with the so-called "terrorism court” under the former regime – a court that reputedly approved the killing of thousands of Syrians.

The incident angered Syria's legal community. On Monday, lawyers staged a sit-in at the Justice Palace in Aleppo.

When Mr Haskal was released, they carried on their shoulders. "We demand a state of law,” protesters chanted.

Zaher, a lawyer who took part in the sit-in, said he was worried that the assault on Mr Haskal undermines any hopes for legal reform.

“The men who beat the judge have gotten away with it," he told The National. "This bodes ill for the future of the legal system.”

The suspected attackers were said to have been detained, although a security official in Aleppo told The National that they were held only briefly. Among the alleged attackers was Obaida Al Tahhan, the Salhine station chief and former militia member with ties to Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, the militant group behind the removal of Mr Al Assad in December. It helped to found the government of Syria and its members are immune from prosecution.

“If the judge had misbehaved, then charge him legally,” Zaher said. “No one should be assaulted. Even if Bashar Al Assad is found and arrested tomorrow, his punishment must be through trial. No one should take justice into their own hands.”

On Sunday, President Ahmad Al Shara announced a restructuring of the Interior Ministry’s security apparatus, marking the first major overhaul of domestic security since the fall of Al Assad's regime last year. The new structure will include six deputies under the Interior Minister and 14 provincial commanders, each responsible for one of Syria's governorates.

Syria's legal system was notoriously corrupt during the five decades of Assad family rule, aside from being subject to the orders and whims of the secret police.

Bribes were common throughout the whole system.