Syrian Military Doctor Indicted in Germany for Crimes Against Humanity in the Arab Republic

IMPORTANT: The full content of this page is available to premium users only.

Thursday, August 5, 2021
Author: 
Sara Kaufman
Volume: 
37
Issue: 
8
Abstract: 

Alaa Mousa, a former Syrian military doctor now living in Germany, was indicted on July 28, 2021, on charges of crimes against humanity by the German federal prosecutor.[1]  Dr. Mousa has been accused of torturing opponents of President Bashar al-Assad in military facilities in Syria.  One of the several allegations against him is that he doused the testicles of a teenage boy with alcohol before lighting them on fire in the emergency room at a military hospital in Syria.  He is also alleged to have kicked and punched other prisoners, as well as carried out procedures without sufficient anesthetic.[2]  After fleeing Syria in 2015, Dr. Mousa began working at a hospital in central Germany.  He was recognized by other Syrians who alerted the German authorities, leading to his arrest in June 2020.[3]



[1] Christopher F. Schuetze, Syrian Doctor Indicted in Germany for Crimes Against Humanity, The New York Times,  July 28, 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/28/world/europe/syria-doctor-indicted-germany.html.

[2] Id.

[3] Id.