Syria #1

Trigger warning: This episode includes description of torture and violence. Please take care of yourself while listening.

"[The conflict in Syria] is not a humanitarian issue, it is a political issue" - Anwar Al-Bunni

On Wednesday, a German court in Koblenz made a historic judgement: A former intelligence officer from the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. The groundbreaking decision is an important sign of legal accountability towards the torture regime under Assad that is systematically torturing and murdering thousands of people.

In this episode we talked with human rights lawyer Anwar Al-Bunni who tries to bring the perpetrators of war crimes in Syria to justice. We talked about the meaning of accountability and justice in the case of Syria. When asked about the trial, Al-Bunni told us: „It’s not about justice for Syrians, it is about justice for the victims.“ Part of the conversation were also his experiences with the Syrian tyranny and the question whether the newest US sanctions against Assad, the so called Caesar Act, can help improve the human rights situation in Syria.

For further information see: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/24/germany-convicts-former-assad-regime-agent-in-historic-syria-torture-verdict?CMP=Share