Facts
Between 1 January 2012 and 20 July 2012, Mohamed Hamo held the position of head of the armament unit of the 11th Division of the 3rd Corps of the Syrian army in Homs and Hama (Baba Amr, ar-Rastan and al-Houla). He was accused of having aided and abetted war crimes during this period and has been described as one of the most senior Syrian military officials to be tried in Europe.
The indictment alleged that, during this period, the Syrian army active in hostilities in and around Homs and Hama systematically engaged in indiscriminate attacks against the civilian population. Hamo was alleged to have made strategic decisions to carry out those military operations as well as to have helped coordinate the supply of arms and ammunition to units involved in those attacks.
Hamo later defected, fleeing to Turkey where he joined a Syrian opposition group. He travelled to Sweden in 2015, where he successfully sought asylum. However, the Swedish Migration Agency informed the government that Hamo had previously been a senior officer in the Syrian regime.
Eight plaintiffs filed a case against Hamo, including a man whose brother was killed in the attacks in Homs, as well as a British photographer and a French journalist who were both injured in the attack on the city’s media center.
Procedure
On 7 December 2021, Hamo was arrested by the Swedish police on suspicion of having committed a gross violation of international law in Syria in 2012. The court ordered his release two days later due to insufficient evidence to extend his detention.
In February 2024, the indictment was filed.
On 15 April 2024, the trial commenced. It included testimonies from eight plaintiffs, ten witnesses, and four expert witnesses with knowledge of military structures and Syrian compensation law respectively.
On 20 June 2024, the Stockholm District Court acquitted Hamo, stating that the evidence presented by the prosecution failed to prove that his division was involved in war crimes and that there was insufficient evidence to convict him. The court also held that the prosecution did not prove that Hamo had personally played a role in providing weapons for the alleged attacks.