A 40‑year‑old Syrian physician, known in court as Alaa M., has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court for committing crimes against humanity and war crimes in Syria between 2011 and 2012. The court determined that he was responsible for two killings and eight instances of severe torture in military-run hospitals in Homs and Damascus. The charges stemmed from Alaa’s tenure at facilities including Mezzeh No. 601 in Damascus and a military hospital in Homs during the early years of the Syrian civil war.

Over 50 survivors testified to the most harrowing details: atrocities allegedly included pouring flammable liquids on prisoners’ wounds, burning their genitals—including a teenage boy’s—and breaking bones without anesthesia. One victim reportedly succumbed after receiving a lethal injection intended as a lesson in unchecked power. According to court records, the accused worked as an orthopedic surgeon in Germany from 2015 until his arrest in 2020, following identification by victims who saw him in a documentary about Syrian atrocities. The trial, which began in January 2022 and spanned nearly 190 court days, faced logistical and emotional hurdles as witnesses relived trauma while testifying.

Presiding Judge Christoph Koller described the defendant’s conduct as “sadistic” and noted he derived pleasure from inflicting pain on those he deemed inferior. Prosecutors sought and secured the maximum sentence, with the court affirming the “particular gravity of guilt” and imposing preventative detention, effectively making him ineligible for release after 15 years. This landmark conviction falls under Germany’s universal jurisdiction laws, which permit prosecution of heinous offenses committed abroad when the home country is unable or unwilling to act. This follows a similar landmark case in 2022 in Koblenz, where a Syrian colonel, Anwar Raslan, received a life sentence for overseeing torture and murder at the Al‑Khatib detention center.

Human rights advocates, such as Patrick Kroker of the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, commended the ruling as a vital step toward ending impunity. Meanwhile, skeptics warned that dwindling U.S. funding for documentation programs in Syria could hamper future prosecutions. Alaa M., who has pleaded not guilty throughout, claimed he was falsely accused and made a scapegoat, citing a conspiracy against him. The verdict is not final—the defense is expected to appeal to Germany’s Federal Court of Justice. Implications of the verdict: It reinforces Germany’s expanding use of universal jurisdiction. Supports international accountability where domestic systems fail. Sends a strong message: even medical professionals are not above the law.