German court opens first Syria torture trial

Monitoring Desk

BERLIN: Two former members of Syria’s secret police appeared in court in Germany on Thursday accused of crimes against humanity for their role in a government-run detention center where thousands of opposition protesters were tortured.

The trial of Anwar R. and Eyad A., whose last names weren’t released because of German privacy rules, is the first time that representatives of the Syrian government have faced trial abroad for war crimes allegedly committed during the country’s years-long conflict. (AP)