Austrian court convicts former Syrian Raqqa intelligence chief

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An Austrian court in Vienna convicted Khaled al-H, a former head of the General Intelligence Directorate in Raqqa, of offences including torture and sexual assault tied to his 2011–2013 tenure. More than a dozen victims testified that they were beaten, electrocuted or doused in hot and cold water, and the court sentenced the primary defendant to eight years in prison. The verdict represents a concrete legal outcome from testimonies about alleged Syrian-era abuses and demonstrates that national courts can prosecute alleged offences committed abroad.

Former Raqqa intelligence chief sentenced to eight years for torture