U.S. State Department welcomes German court’s conviction of former Syrian regime intelligence officer

WASHINGTON, D. C. — On Thursday, the U.S. State Department welcomed the German court’s conviction of a former Syrian intelligence officer, Ilyad Gharib, of participation in crimes against humanity.

Gharib stood before the court and was sentenced to imprisonment for four and a half years earlier this week.

The State Department added that Gharib’s conviction is the first of its kind against a former official in the Assad regime for the mass torture of civilians that ultimately spurred the civil war.

The statement declared that the court’s ruling is a step in the right direction in holding the Assad regime accountable for its atrocities, including the documented torture of more than 14,000 Syrians.

On Wednesday, a German court in the city of Koblenz issued its decision against a former officer of the Syrian regime who was accused of committing crimes of torture against the Syrian detainees.