Belgium has joined other European nations in pursuing perpetrators of war crimes in Syria since 2011.
Belgian police arrested Hussein A. based on a warrant charging him with committing crimes against humanity.
He has been remanded in custody awaiting the issuance of formal charges, a process that may take several months.
Hussein A. served as a commander in a militia affiliated with the “National Defense Committees” in the Syrian Salamiyah region near Hama.
He was responsible for the arrest and handover of detainees to branches of the military security apparatus of the Syrian army in Hama.
Syrian lawyer Anwar Al-Bunni has prepared the case against Hussein A. and submitted it to the Belgian prosecutor general.
Al-Bunni stated that the accused delivered detainees to centers, knowing that they would be subjected to torture.
Moreover, Al-Bunni added that the case of Hussein A. is linked to another case involving an individual arrested two months ago in the Netherlands.
This individual was also a commander in a militia affiliated with the National Defense Committees and remains in custody awaiting formal charges and trial.
Al-Bunni clarified that the Syrian Center for Legal Studies and Research has managed to gather more than 10 witnesses in the case of Hussein A., all of whom are victims who have experienced arrest and torture.
In 2015, Hussein A. came to Belgium for a family reunion and applied for Belgian citizenship, but the decision is still pending.
This case is Belgium’s first against individuals accused of war crimes in Syria. It’s part of a broader effort led by al-Bunni, who is compiling cases against those fleeing Syria for Europe.
Al-Bunni relies on the principle of universal jurisdiction, allowing Western countries to prosecute criminals for crimes committed abroad.
Germany, followed by France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and now Belgium, all have initiated legal proceedings against former Syrian officers.
