A Syrian regime member walks amid the destruction in Eastern Ghouta on the outskirts of the capital Damascus in 2018. AFP
A Syrian regime member walks amid the destruction in Eastern Ghouta on the outskirts of the capital Damascus in 2018. AFP
A Syrian regime member walks amid the destruction in Eastern Ghouta on the outskirts of the capital Damascus in 2018. AFP
A Syrian regime member walks amid the destruction in Eastern Ghouta on the outskirts of the capital Damascus in 2018. AFP

German police arrest Syrian on war crimes charges


Soraya Ebrahimi
  • English
  • Arabic

A Syrian citizen has been arrested in Germany on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes including enslavement as he allegedly took part in a brutal crackdown on government opponents, prosecutors said on Thursday.

The suspect, identified only as Ahmad H in line with German legal practice, was detained on July 26 in the northern city of Bremen, the federal prosecutor's office said in a statement.

The man stands accused of acting between 2012 and 2015 as a local leader of pro-government “shabiha” militiamen in Damascus who were responsible for helping to crush dissent.

The militia operated checkpoints where “people were arrested arbitrarily so that they or their family members could be extorted for money, committed to forced labour or tortured”, prosecutors said.

The fighters also plundered the homes of regime opponents, sold the spoils and kept the profits, they added.

Ahmad H, whom security sources said is 46, is accused of taking part “personally in the abuse of civilians”. They say that in one incident in 2013, he ordered militiamen to “brutally torment a detained man for hours using plastic pipes”.

Portraits of children displaced by Syria's civil war – in pictures

  • Twins Maha, right, and Mohammad Al Obaid, 11, were born in 2011, the year the Syrian war started. Displaced from Ras Al Ain in north-east Syria three years ago, they are pictured at a school on the outskirts of north-eastern city Hassakeh. All photos: AFP
    Twins Maha, right, and Mohammad Al Obaid, 11, were born in 2011, the year the Syrian war started. Displaced from Ras Al Ain in north-east Syria three years ago, they are pictured at a school on the outskirts of north-eastern city Hassakeh. All photos: AFP
  • Nimr Alaywi, 11, who was also displaced from Ras Al Ain three years ago, at a school near Hassakeh.
    Nimr Alaywi, 11, who was also displaced from Ras Al Ain three years ago, at a school near Hassakeh.
  • Amani Mahmud, 11, whose family fled Ras Al Ain, pictured at the school near Hassakeh. According to some estimates, 13.3 million Syrians have fled their homes since the civil war began on March 15, 2011.
    Amani Mahmud, 11, whose family fled Ras Al Ain, pictured at the school near Hassakeh. According to some estimates, 13.3 million Syrians have fled their homes since the civil war began on March 15, 2011.
  • Mohammad Issa, 11, who was also displaced from Ras Al Ain, at the school near Hassakeh.
    Mohammad Issa, 11, who was also displaced from Ras Al Ain, at the school near Hassakeh.
  • Assil Alaywi, 11, whose family also fled Ras Al Ain for Hassakeh three years ago. Ras Al Ain was the scene of heavy fighting for much of the conflict.
    Assil Alaywi, 11, whose family also fled Ras Al Ain for Hassakeh three years ago. Ras Al Ain was the scene of heavy fighting for much of the conflict.
  • Yazan Khodr, 11, at the school near Hassakeh, after his family fled Ras Al Ain. Various groups, including Syrian government forces, extremists and Kurdish fighters, vied for control of Ras Al Ain.
    Yazan Khodr, 11, at the school near Hassakeh, after his family fled Ras Al Ain. Various groups, including Syrian government forces, extremists and Kurdish fighters, vied for control of Ras Al Ain.
  • Liana Ali, 11, in the school building on the outskirts of Hassakeh.
    Liana Ali, 11, in the school building on the outskirts of Hassakeh.
  • Manaf Mahmud, 11, pictured at the school near Hassakeh. Around four million people, at least half of them displaced, now live in the northern region.
    Manaf Mahmud, 11, pictured at the school near Hassakeh. Around four million people, at least half of them displaced, now live in the northern region.
  • Ahmad Abderrazzak, 11, at the school near Hassakeh.
    Ahmad Abderrazzak, 11, at the school near Hassakeh.
  • Fatima Barkal, 11, at the school near Hassakeh.
    Fatima Barkal, 11, at the school near Hassakeh.
  • Ammar Al Khodr, 11, at the school near Hassakeh.
    Ammar Al Khodr, 11, at the school near Hassakeh.
  • Majd Hassan, 11, at the school near Hassakeh, north-east Syria.
    Majd Hassan, 11, at the school near Hassakeh, north-east Syria.

In autumn 2014, Ahmad H and other militiamen and members of the military secret service allegedly attacked a civilian at a checkpoint, grabbing him by the hair and banging his head on the pavement.

Between December 2012 and early 2015, he is accused of twice arresting groups of 25 to 30 people and forcing them to carry sandbags to the nearby front, where they faced crossfire and were deprived of food and water while being beaten.

It was unclear when Ahmad H came to Germany or what witnesses might have reported him to authorities.

A spokesman for the federal prosecutor's office declined to provide further details.

In a statement, the Washington-based Syrian Justice and Accountability Centre, which tracks cases of human rights abuses in Syria, said that the arrest came after its investigation “uncovered potentially incriminating evidence”, including video evidence.

It launched its investigation after a witness told the agency in May 2020 that the suspect was living in Germany.

Germany let in hundreds of thousands of Syrians during the 2015-16 refugee influx.

NGOs warned at the time of the danger that “shabiha” militiamen, accused of committing some of the most barbaric atrocities against civilians for President Bashar Al Assad's regime, were arriving incognito in Europe and obtaining asylum.

Germany has previously used the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows the prosecution of certain grave crimes regardless of where they took place, to try Syrians over atrocities committed during the country's civil war.

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Premier Futsal 2017 Finals

Al Wasl Football Club; six teams, five-a-side

Delhi Dragons: Ronaldinho
Bengaluru Royals: Paul Scholes
Mumbai Warriors: Ryan Giggs
Chennai Ginghams: Hernan Crespo
Telugu Tigers: Deco
Kerala Cobras: Michel Salgado

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

WHAT%20MACRO%20FACTORS%20ARE%20IMPACTING%20META%20TECH%20MARKETS%3F
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Looming%20global%20slowdown%20and%20recession%20in%20key%20economies%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Russia-Ukraine%20war%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Interest%20rate%20hikes%20and%20the%20rising%20cost%20of%20debt%20servicing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Oil%20price%20volatility%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Persisting%20inflationary%20pressures%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Exchange%20rate%20fluctuations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shortage%20of%20labour%2Fskills%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20A%20resurgence%20of%20Covid%3F%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20specs
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Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

What is a robo-adviser?

Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.

These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.

Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.

Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.

UAE tour of the Netherlands

UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures:
Monday, 1st 50-over match
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match

The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn

Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 556Nm @ 3,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km

THE LOWDOWN

Photograph

Rating: 4/5

Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies

Director: Ritesh Batra

Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz

Mountain%20Boy
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Vikram%20Vedha
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How the bonus system works

The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.

The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.

There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).

All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

Company Profile

Company name: NutriCal

Started: 2019

Founder: Soniya Ashar

Based: Dubai

Industry: Food Technology

Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount

Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia

Total Clients: Over 50

Scores

Scotland 54-17 Fiji
England 15-16 New Zealand

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

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Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammed Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Saeed Ahmed, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Muhammed Jumah, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri

Mobile phone packages comparison
Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Updated: August 03, 2023, 9:03 PM