Arrest of a Syrian militia leader in Berlin on charges of war crimes
A Syrian man has been arrested in Berlin-Neukölln by officers of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) on charges of committing war crimes during the Syrian civil war. The Federal Prosecutor's Office accuses Anwar S. of leading a pro-regime militia in Aleppo and committing murder, torture, deprivation of liberty, and crimes against humanity.
The arrest came after a video from 2011 surfaced showing the suspect participating in violent attacks on anti-government protesters at a mosque in Syria. The video shows militia members, locally known as 'shabiha', beating protesters with sticks and metal rods and using electric shocks. It was reported that some detainees were handed over to the Syrian intelligence agency and were tortured while in custody.
Authorities claim that on at least eight occasions after Friday prayers, Anwar S. was present during the assault on civilians to disperse protests. In one incident in the Seif al-Dawla neighborhood of Aleppo, a protester was seriously injured and later died as a result. Video analysis confirms the accuracy of these accounts, as the video shows the arrest of protesters inside the mosque and their torture outside the mosque while they are lying on the ground and bleeding.
An arrest was made near a famous shisha café in Neukölln, with a large police presence deployed to ensure the operation proceeded smoothly. Authorities confirmed the importance of detaining Anwar S. due to the seriousness of the alleged crimes and his leadership role within the militia since 2011.
The suspect will be presented before the investigating judge at the Supreme Federal Court on October 1, 2025, where he will be informed of the arrest warrant and a decision will be made regarding the implementation of the next legal procedures.