An Austrian court is expected to deliver its verdict on Monday in the trial of two former Syrian security officials accused of committing torture and other serious abuses during the early years of Syria’s civil war.
The case, heard in Vienna, forms part of a growing number of prosecutions across Europe in which national courts have used the principle of universal jurisdiction to pursue individuals suspected of grave international crimes committed outside their own borders.
One of the defendants, Khaled al-Halabi, 63, a former brigadier general in Syria’s intelligence service, has been held in pre-trial detention since 2024.
He faces charges including torture, aggravated coercion, sexual coercion and several counts of causing serious bodily harm.
His co-defendant, Musab Abu Rukbah, 54, a former lieutenant colonel in the local police force, is accused of serious bodily harm, aggravated coercion and sexual coercion linked to incidents in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa between April 2011 and March 2013.
Both men denied all allegations when the trial opened in June. If convicted, they could each receive prison sentences of up to 10 years.
Austrian prosecutors argue that the two men either ordered or failed to prevent the abuse of people detained during anti-government demonstrations in the early stages of the conflict.
They claim the alleged mistreatment formed part of a wider pattern of violence against opponents of the government led by Bashar al-Assad.
During the proceedings, several former detainees described severe physical abuse while being held in detention facilities under the defendants’ authority.
One witness told the court he remained traumatised years later, alleging that he was interrogated by al-Halabi before guards beat the soles of his feet with electric cables.
Other former detainees described overcrowded cells, prolonged detention in harsh conditions and repeated physical abuse.
According to the prosecution, al-Halabi acted on direct instructions from authorities in Damascus and oversaw the systematic use of established torture methods, including beatings and the use of cold water as a form of punishment.
Al-Halabi has rejected the accusations, insisting that torture did not take place during the period in which he was responsible for the facilities in question.
Both defendants arrived in Austria in 2015 and later sought asylum.
The trial follows similar legal proceedings in several European countries, including France, Germany, Sweden and Belgium, where former Syrian officials have faced prosecution for alleged crimes linked to the country’s civil war.
The case has also drawn attention because of earlier allegations concerning al-Halabi’s arrival in Austria. In 2023, senior Austrian officials accused of helping him secure protection in the country were acquitted.
Prosecutors had alleged that his transfer was connected to a reported agreement with Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, under an operation reportedly known as “White Milk”.
Austrian media said the arrangement involved bringing al-Halabi from France to Austria in 2015.
When questioned during the trial, al-Halabi denied any involvement by intelligence agencies, telling the court that family members had helped him relocate.
Austrian news agency APA has reported that the alleged operation was overseen by Martin Weiss, the former head of Austria’s domestic intelligence agency.
Weiss is currently believed to be in Dubai and is wanted by Austrian authorities over alleged links to fugitive businessman Jan Marsalek, who has been accused of maintaining connections with Russian intelligence.
The Vienna court’s ruling is expected to be closely watched by international human rights groups, as European courts continue to examine alleged crimes committed during Syria’s long-running conflict under the principle of universal jurisdiction.
