Facts
According to the indictment, between April 2011 and the end of 2012, Alaa M. worked as a doctor in a military hospital in the city of Homs as well as in the al-Mezzeh military hospital in Damascus. In these hospitals as well as in the prison of Department 261 of the Syrian Military Intelligence in Homs, he allegedly severely mistreated and tortured numerous detained civilians, two of whom subsequently died.
Among other things, he is accused of beating several detained patients with batons and a plastic tube, administering a lethal injection to one person, stepping on a prisoner’s wound with boots and subsequently setting it on fire with disinfectant and pouring alcohol over the genitals of a 14 or 15-year-old boy, which he then ignited.
Alaa M. fled Syria to Germany, where he worked as a doctor since 2015.
Procedure
On 19 June 2020, the federal public prosecutor arrested Alaa M. under the suspicion of crimes against humanity.
On 16 December 2020, the arrest warrant was extended to cover allegations of murder in one case, torture in 18 cases, inflicting grievous bodily and mental harm in one case, severe deprivation of physical liberty in seven cases (one of which led to death) and an attempt to deprive a person of their reproductive capacity, all of which are characterized as crimes against humanity.
The Syrian Center for Legal Studies and Research supported the prosecuting authorities by referring witnesses.
On 15 July 2021, the federal public prosecutor indicted Alaa M. In early November 2021, the main parts of the indictment were admitted for trial by the Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt. The Court declined, however, to admit ten cases of the indictment to trial for legal reasons.
In December 2021, upon appeal by the federal public prosecutor, the Federal Court of Justice overturned the decision declining to admit ten cases of the indictment to trial, thus admitting to trial the full indictment of the crimes against humanity of murder, sexual violence, torture and dangerous bodily harm.
On 19 January 2022, the trial against Alaa M. began before the Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt. Throughout the year, the accused and several witnesses and civil parties were heard by the court.
Proceedings continued throughout 2023. In November 2023, the Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt issued a legal notice stating that it is considering ordering the preventive detention of the defendant after he serves his possible prison sentence, due to the threat he allegedly poses to society.
Proceedings continued throughout 2024. The chamber continued to hear witnesses, including anonymous witnesses who were granted protective measures (i.e. disguising their appearance with wigs and glasses), as well as expert witnesses, with the proceedings exceeding 150 trial days. Witnesses testifying in the proceedings continued to be threatened. Additionally, the federal public prosecutor announced that preliminary investigations into additional charges against Alaa M. have been conducted.
On 16 June 2025, the Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt am Main sentenced Alaa M. to life imprisonment for the crimes against humanity of murder and torture, war crimes and murder.