Bashar Assad’s Uncle to Stand Trial for War Crimes in Switzerland
Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office Files Criminal Complaint Against Former Syrian Vice President Rifat Assad for War Crimes
The Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office has filed a criminal complaint against Rifat Assad, former Syrian Vice President and former officer of the Syrian army, for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The complaint was filed with the Federal Criminal Court based on Assad’s alleged involvement in ordering killings, torture, and illegal detention during the armed conflict in Hama in February 1982.
The indictment submitted by the prosecutor’s office is a result of a criminal investigation launched in December 2013 following a complaint by the non-governmental organization TRIAL International. The investigation focused on the events that took place in Hama in 1982, where thousands of civilians were victims of abuse, imprisonment, and torture before execution.
Rifat Assad, who was the commander of operations in Hama at the time, is accused of leading the suppression of an opposition uprising in the city. Special forces under his command surrounded the city and carried out mass executions, resulting in the death of thousands of people, mostly civilians.
According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, at least 30 thousand civilians lost their lives in the massacre in Hama, with thousands more detained and never heard from again. The regime forces targeted residential areas, mosques, churches, and historical monuments, causing extensive destruction in the city.
The Federal Prosecutor’s Office will present its case at the main hearing before the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona. The indictment estimates that between 3,000 to 60,000 people lost their lives in Hama during the conflict, making it one of the deadliest episodes in Syria’s history.
Assad’s trial will be a crucial step towards accountability for the atrocities committed during the Hama massacre. The victims and their families seek justice for the crimes that were committed against them, and the Swiss judicial system has taken a significant step towards delivering that justice.
