Syrian Doctor Sentenced to Life in Germany for Atrocities in Assad-Era Military Hospitals
Frankfurt, Germany – In a significant step toward international accountability, a German court has sentenced Syrian orthopedic doctor Alaa Mousa, 40, to life imprisonment for a series of brutal crimes committed in military hospitals during the height of Syria’s civil war.
According to the Higher Regional Court in Frankfurt, Mousa’s actions were not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of state-sanctioned violence under the regime of Bashar al-Assad. The court found him guilty of murder, torture, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
Systematic Abuse Behind Hospital Walls
Between 2011 and 2012, Mousa worked in military hospitals in Damascus and Homs, where numerous political detainees were taken under the guise of receiving medical care. Instead, many were subjected to horrific abuse, often resulting in death.
The court heard that Mousa tortured patients on at least 18 occasions. In one particularly disturbing case, he allegedly poured flammable liquid on a detainee's wounds before setting them on fire. In another, he reportedly administered a lethal injection to a prisoner who had resisted a beating.
Witnesses, including fellow medical staff and former detainees, testified to a culture of impunity and terror within the hospitals. One described the Damascus facility as a "slaughterhouse", where cries of pain echoed through the corridors.
Years of Silence in Germany
After arriving in Germany in 2015 on a visa for highly skilled workers, Mousa resumed his medical career, working as an orthopedic doctor. He blended in quietly with society until his arrest in June 2020.
His former employer in Germany claimed to have had no knowledge of his past. Colleagues described him as “unremarkable,” unaware that behind the calm exterior was a man complicit in severe human rights violations.
A Historic Verdict
The trial, which began in 2022, relied heavily on eyewitness testimonies and investigations conducted by human rights organizations and German prosecutors. Mousa consistently denied all allegations, claiming he had only witnessed beatings and was too afraid of the military police to intervene.
“I felt sorry for them, but I couldn’t say anything. Otherwise, it would have been me instead of the patient,” Mousa told the court in an early hearing.
However, the court rejected his defense, asserting that his involvement was not passive but active and deliberate. The presiding judge emphasized that Mousa's crimes were committed in full awareness and with intent.
Justice Beyond Borders
This verdict is the latest in a series of trials held in Europe under the principle of universal jurisdiction, allowing states to prosecute serious international crimes regardless of where they occurred.
Human rights groups welcomed the ruling as a crucial step in achieving justice for victims of Syria’s long-running conflict, which has resulted in over 500,000 deaths and millions of displacements.
“This case shows that perpetrators of torture and war crimes cannot escape justice by fleeing abroad,” said a spokesperson for the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR).