Facts
Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Syrian military and intelligence services have reportedly been systematically arresting, torturing and killing opposition activists. The complaint details instances of murder, severe torture, detention in inhumane conditions, sexual violence and other inhumane treatment, which the complainants suffered or witnessed while imprisoned by government authorities between February 2011 and June 2015.
After being arrested for activities such as attending peaceful anti-government protests or providing humanitarian aid, the victims were imprisoned in 17 different detention facilities of the Syrian intelligence services, as well as in Saydnaya Military Prison and a detention facility of the Fourth Division of the Syrian Armed Forces.
During their detention, survivors were severely tortured, including being subjected to beatings with sticks, cables and plastic pipes, kicks to head and genitals, electric shocks, sleep deprivation and sexual abuse. They also witnessed the torture and killings of other detainees.
Procedure
On 20 February 2019, nine Syrian torture survivors filed a criminal complaint with the War Crimes Unit of the Swedish Police. The complaint details crimes allegedly committed by 25 known and other unknown high-level Syrian security officials, including heads of the four Syrian intelligence services (Military Intelligence, Air Force Intelligence, General Intelligence Services and Political Security). The complaint was filed in cooperation with the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Syrian lawyers Anwar al-Bunni and Mazen Darwish, the Caesar Files Group and the Swedish organization Civil Rights Defenders.
In 2020, the prosecutorial authorities took testimonies of all nine survivors who filed the complaint in 2019.