Germany arrests 2 Syrians for committing war crimes in Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On September 7, German authorities arrested two Syrian men on suspicion of being members of extremist groups. Prosecutors have stated that one of the individuals is believed to have been involved in an attack in eastern Syria in 2013, which resulted in the deaths of over 60 Shiite fighters and civilians.
The suspects, identified as Amer A. and Basel O. are accused of membership in a foreign terrorist group — Liwa Jund al Rahman, of the Soldiers of the Merciful God, an armed rebel group that prosecutors said Amer A. formed in February 2013 and led.
Amer A. is also accused of committing war crimes by means of forced displacement and of membership in Islamic State
(ISIS).
The war crimes charges relate to a June 2013 attack on the village of Hatla, in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, eastern Syria, that killed about 60 Shiite residents.
Amer A. joined ISIS in July 2014 and put his group under its command, prosecutors said. They said Basel O. took a “prominent military position” in his group by late 2013 and commanded units of the group in battles with Syrian government forces in December that year and in April 2014, particularly at Deir ez-Zor’s military airfield.
The two suspects were held in custody pending a potential indictment.