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Former Syrian Secret Police Officer Testifies He's Innocent

A former Syrian secret police colonel testified in a German court that he was not involved in the torture of opponents of Bashar Assad’s regime. (AP)
A former Syrian secret police colonel testified in a German court that he was not involved in the torture of opponents of Bashar Assad’s regime. (AP)
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Former Syrian Secret Police Officer Testifies He's Innocent

A former Syrian secret police colonel testified in a German court that he was not involved in the torture of opponents of Bashar Assad’s regime. (AP)
A former Syrian secret police colonel testified in a German court that he was not involved in the torture of opponents of Bashar Assad’s regime. (AP)

A former Syrian secret police colonel testified in a German court Monday that he was not involved in the torture of opponents of the regime of Bashar Assad, in the first war crimes trial outside Syria linked to the country’s years-long conflict.

Anwar R., 57, is accused of crimes against humanity, rape and murder as head of the al-Khatib detention center, also known as Branch 251, near Damascus.

As a senior member of Syria’s General Intelligence Directorate, R. is accused of overseeing the “systematic and brutal torture” of more than 4,000 prisoners between April 2011 and September 2012, resulting in the deaths of at least 58 people, according to the indictment, reported The Associated Press.

His co-defendant, 43-year-old Eyad A., is accused of being part of a police squad that detained protesters and brought them back to Branch 251, where they were then mistreated. Neither of their last names has been released, in line with German privacy laws.

In his first statement since his trial opened in April, Anwar R. told the Koblenz state court that he was not guilty of the accusations against him.

“I have not committed the crimes I’m accused of,” he said in a statement read by his attorneys, the dpa news agency reported. “I have never taken part in human rights violations."

Instead, he said, he was a secret supporter of the Syrian opposition, and testified that he sympathized with the victims of torture.

Patrick Kroker, a lawyer for the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights that is supporting several of the victims, called the defendant’s statement “grotesque.”

At least nine torture victims are represented as co-plaintiffs in the case, as allowed under German law. They and several others are expected to be called as witnesses.

Kroker told The AP that R. had accused all witnesses of either lying or not having been under his responsibility.

R.’s attorney couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

The two defendants left Syria for Germany before their arrest in February 2019. If convicted, Anwar R. could face life imprisonment. Eyad A. could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison if convicted of complicity in crimes against humanity.

The Koblenz regional court, where the trial is being held, has reduced the number of seats available to reporters and the general public by a third due to social distancing rules to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

The trial is expected to run several months.

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Arab World

MSF Says May Have to Halt Gaza Operations in March

Palestinians walk past destroyed buildings in the northern Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Palestinians walk past destroyed buildings in the northern Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
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MSF Says May Have to Halt Gaza Operations in March

Palestinians walk past destroyed buildings in the northern Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Palestinians walk past destroyed buildings in the northern Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Banned from the Gaza Strip with 36 aid bodies, medical charity Doctors Without Borders said Saturday it will have to end its operations there in March if Israel does not reverse its decision.

UN secretary general Antonio Guterres called on Friday for Israel to end a ban on humanitarian agencies that provided aid in Gaza, saying he was "deeply concerned" at the development.

Israel confirmed on Thursday it is barring 37 major international humanitarian organizations from entering the Gaza Strip, accusing them of failing to provide the list of their employees' names, which is now officially required for "security" reasons.

MSF called this demand a "scandalous intrusion" but Israel says is needed to stop jihadists from infiltrating into humanitarian structures, AFP reported.

"To work in Palestine, in the occupied Palestinian territories, we have to be registered ... That registration expired on December 31, 2025," said Isabelle Defourny, a physician and president of MSF France, on France Inter.

"Since July 2025, we have been involved in a re-registration process and to date, we have not received a response. We still have 60 days during which we could work without being re-registered, and so we would have to end our activities in March" if Israel maintains its decision, she said.

MSF has around 40 international staff in the Gaza Strip and works with 800 Palestinian staff across eight hospitals.

"We are the second-largest distributor of water (in the Gaza Strip). Last year, in 2025, we treated just over 100,000 people who were wounded, burned, or victims of various traumas. We are second in terms of the number of deliveries performed," the president of MSF France said.

According to her, the Israeli decision is explained by the fact that NGOs "bear witness to the violence committed by the Israeli army" in Gaza.

Arab World

Yemen Consultation, Reconciliation Body Says National Shield Camp Takeover is Peaceful

Yemen Consultation, Reconciliation Body Says National Shield Camp Takeover is Peaceful
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Yemen Consultation, Reconciliation Body Says National Shield Camp Takeover is Peaceful

Yemen Consultation, Reconciliation Body Says National Shield Camp Takeover is Peaceful

Akram al-Amri, deputy head of Yemen’s Consultation and Reconciliation Commission, stated that the operation to take over military camps, led by the National Shield forces under the command of Salem al-Khanbashi, Governor of Hadhramaut and head of the security committee, is not a military offensive operation.

Al-Amri said the move is peaceful in nature and aims to take over “military and security sites occupied by forces of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) that came from outside Hadhramaut.”

He said that all directives had been issued and all possible means had been exhausted to have the sites vacated voluntarily, in response to the demands of the people of the governorate.

Al-Amri, who also serves as secretary general of the Hadhramaut Inclusive Conference, called on the people of the governorate to stand by the National Shield forces and welcome them.

He also urged the STC leadership in Hadhramaut to opt for peace and preserve their land, saying, “There is no cause for concern. We are brothers, united by Hadhramaut.”

“Hadhramaut has launched a new political, economic, and development phase with comprehensive support from our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which will be announced soon,” he revealed.

Separately, the Hadhramaut Inclusive Conference welcomed the announcement by al-Khanbashi, launching the “camp takeover” operation, describing it as a responsible step aimed at assuming control of military sites in a peaceful and orderly manner that strengthens state authority and preserves Hadhramaut’s security and stability.

In a statement, the conference stressed that the operation does not target any specific political or social group, does not impact civilians or citizens’ interests, and does not constitute an escalation or a declaration of war.

It stated that the move is a preventive measure to protect Hadhramaut from chaos and to prevent the use of military camps from threatening its security.

The conference commended the efforts of the legitimate state authorities, with the support of Saudi Arabia, to establish channels of dialogue and understanding, emphasizing that political solutions remain the most effective way to address disputes.

It added that obstructing these efforts compels the state to assume its constitutional responsibilities to protect citizens and prevent a slide into chaos.

The Hadhramaut Inclusive Conference reaffirmed its support for all prudent efforts that safeguard social peace and protect state institutions, and commended the Hadhramaut governor’s call on various social forces to play their national role during this sensitive phase.

Arab World

UN Force in Lebanon Says Israeli Army Fired Near its Peacekeepers Twice

Joint patrol of the Lebanese army and UNIFIL (UNIFIL via Telegram)
Joint patrol of the Lebanese army and UNIFIL (UNIFIL via Telegram)
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UN Force in Lebanon Says Israeli Army Fired Near its Peacekeepers Twice

Joint patrol of the Lebanese army and UNIFIL (UNIFIL via Telegram)
Joint patrol of the Lebanese army and UNIFIL (UNIFIL via Telegram)

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said gunfire from an Israeli position hit close to its peacekeepers twice on Friday, reporting no casualties but decrying a “concerning trend.”

UNIFIL has repeatedly reported Israeli fire near or towards its personnel in recent months, and last week said an Israeli attack near one of its positions lightly wounded a peacekeeper.

Personnel patrolling in south Lebanon on Friday “reported 15 rounds of small arms fire that struck no more than 50 meters away from them,” a UNIFIL statement said, according to AFP.

Shortly afterwards, “peacekeepers in a second patrol in the same area reported approximately 100 rounds of machine-gun fire struck approximately 50 meters from them,” it added, reporting no damage or injuries.

“Peacekeepers assessed that the fire came from an Israel army position south of the Blue Line in both cases,” the statement said, referring to the de facto border, and “sent a ‘stop fire’ request through its liaison channels.”

It said UNIFIL had informed the Israeli army about the peacekeepers’ activities in advance.

“Incidents like these are happening on a too-regular basis, and becoming a concerning trend,” the statement said.

“We reiterate our call to the Israeli army to cease aggressive behavior and attacks on or near peacekeepers working for peace and stability along the Blue Line.”

UNIFIL has acted as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon for decades, and recently has been working with Lebanon’s army to support a year-old ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

The force on Friday noted that “attacks on or near peacekeepers are serious violations” of a 2006 UN Security Council resolution that formed the basis of the current ceasefire.

Under the November 2024 truce, Israel was to withdraw its forces from south Lebanon, but it has kept them at five areas it deems strategic and carries out regular strikes on Lebanon, usually saying it is targeting Hezbollah sites and operatives.

Under heavy US pressure and fears of expanded Israeli strikes, Lebanon has committed to disarming Hezbollah, starting in the south near the frontier.

Last August, the UN Security Council voted for the peacekeepers to leave Lebanon in 2027.