Damascus, Sept. 28 (SANA) Syria’s Fourth Criminal Court, which specializes in transitional justice cases, opened the public trial on Monday of Samer Ali Haidar and Ali Nour Shamseddin on charges related to alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity against civilians in the Damascus countryside and Aleppo provinces.
The National Commission for Transitional Justice said in a statement that prosecutors accused Haidar of joining armed “Shabiha” militias and carrying out arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance, as well as participating in armed groups.
Prosecutors also accused him of involvement in kidnapping, detention and killings as part systematic crimes against civilians, and submitted a list of prosecution witnesses. Haidar denied the charges and withdrew statements he had previously made before the investigating judge.
In the second case, prosecutors sought the conviction of Ali Nour Shamseddin, from the town of Nubl in Aleppo countryside, on war crimes and crimes against humanity charges.
According to the commission, prosecutors alleged that Shamseddin, who had joined Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was involved in killings and enforced disappearances as part of widespread and systematic practices in Aleppo. They also submitted documents and photographic evidence that they said showed the mutilation of bodies and sectarian slogans.
Shamseddin denied the charges and also withdrew statements he had previously made.
The court adjourned both cases until Oct. 13. The next hearing is expected to include prosecution witnesses in Haidar’s case and further submissions by the prosecution and defense in Shamseddin’s case.
MHD
