U.S. Indicts Former Syrian Officials for War Crimes

The U.S. has indicted two former Syrian officials under ex-President Assad for war crimes, involving the cruel treatment of civilians, including American citizens. Arrest warrants are out for Jamil Hassan and Abdul Salam Mahmoud, accused of inhumane acts in Syrian detention centers during the civil war.

A U.S. indictment unsealed in Illinois on Monday charges two ex-Syrian officials under the former regime of Bashar al-Assad with war crimes, according to a Justice Department announcement. The charges include conspiring to commit cruel treatment against civilians, some of whom were U.S. citizens.

Jamil Hassan and Abdul Salam Mahmoud, previously high-ranking officers in the Syrian Air Force intelligence, have been identified as the defendants. Arrest warrants have been issued, but both individuals are currently at large. Efforts to reach them for comment have been unsuccessful.

The accusations detail a series of brutal acts, such as whipping, electrocution, and threats of rape, allegedly occurring at Mezzeh Military Airport's detention facility near Damascus from 2012 to 2019, said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.

(With inputs from agencies.)