The US government has unveiled an indictment against two former high-ranking officials of the Syrian Air Force Intelligence. The indictment, unsealed by the US Department of Justice, charges Jamil Hassan and Abdul Salam Mahmoud with committing war crimes, specifically, acts of torture and cruel treatment against detainees, including US citizens, at the Mezzeh military airbase prison in Damascus, Syria. The official indictment document can be accessed here.
The charges have been filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and are based on violations of 18 USC §§ 2441(a) and (d)(1)(B). These statutes prohibit war crimes, including acts of torture and inhumane treatment of prisoners. The allegations against Hassan and Mahmoud stem from events during the Syrian Civil War, which originated in 2011 as a movement against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, later escalating into a larger armed conflict. As part of the regime’s crackdown on dissent, Hassan, then Director of Syrian Air Force Intelligence, and Mahmoud, a brigadier general under his leadership, are accused of using systematic torture to instill fear, punish dissenters, and extract false confessions.
The indictment outlines how Hassan and Mahmoud managed a network of detention centers, prominent among them the notoriously brutal Mezzeh Prison. At these facilities, detainees were allegedly subjected to various forms of physical and psychological torture, including beatings, electrocution, and other severe abuses. These allegations extend to Syrian nationals as well as foreign individuals, adding that these acts were intended to intimidate those opposed to the Assad government, such as political activists, aid workers, journalists, and military deserters.
The indictment further alleges a calculated campaign by the defendants to obscure these offenses, reportedly through manipulating or covering up the actions of Syrian Air Force Intelligence personnel involved in the abuses. The case against Hassan and Mahmoud underscores their significant roles in maintaining an environment of fear and repression during the conflict, contributing to a broader pattern of human rights violations. The broader implications of these proceedings are discussed in the context of human rights abuses by the Syrian regime.
The unsealing of this indictment represents a step towards accountability for actions taken during the protracted conflict in Syria, indicating ongoing efforts by international entities to address violations of international law. Further details are available directly from the JURIST – News report.