Syrian Ex-Officers Go on Trial in Vienna Over Alleged Torture

Two former Syrian officers, Khaled al-Halabi and Musab Abu Rukbah, went on trial in Vienna on Monday on charges tied to alleged torture and war crimes during the early years of Syria’s civil war. Austrian prosecutors say the case is the country’s first prosecution involving officials from President Bashar al-Assad’s government and follows a yearslong investigation.

Prosecutors said al-Halabi, 63, served as head of State Security in Raqqa from 2011 to 2013. Abu Rukbah, 54, served as head of investigations in the local criminal police department and later led the Political Security office in Raqqa, an intelligence unit within the Interior Ministry.

Both men were granted asylum in Austria and have lived there since 2015, according to prosecutors. They pleaded not guilty to charges including sexual coercion, aggravated coercion, and inflicting bodily harm.

The trial is being heard by a five-member jury in Vienna. Prosecutors said the maximum sentence under Austrian law for sexual coercion or torture is 10 years.

Allegations focus on interrogations in Raqqa

According to an indictment prepared by the Vienna Public Prosecutor’s Office, the charges relate to interrogations aimed at suppressing the Syrian civil protest movement through force. Prosecutors said al-Halabi also faces a torture charge tied to events in early 2013 involving two witnesses.

The indictment describes alleged abuse including beatings, electric shocks, and sexual abuse during repeated interrogations. It also refers to the use of a device known as a “flying carpet,” a wooden contraption that bent detainees double and could damage the spine, according to prosecutors.

The court is expected to hear testimony from 18 Syrian civilians, including former protesters and a doctor, who allege they were tortured in al-Halabi’s office in the early days of the war. Prosecutors said the witness testimony will begin next week.

Case proceeds amid absence of international tribunal

Prosecutors said the case is moving forward in the absence of an international tribunal for Syrian war crimes, a situation they linked to vetoes by Russia and China against empowering the International Criminal Court.

Officials say the proceedings will test the defendants’ denials as witnesses take the stand in the coming sessions. The court is expected to continue hearing evidence in the weeks ahead.