Man arrested in Kerkrade for war crimes in Syria

The police arrested a man in Kerkrade on Tuesday on suspicion of committing war crimes and other crimes against humanity in Syria in 2013, the Public Prosecution Service and the police said. The 34-year-old suspect has been living in the Netherlands since 2020. He applied for asylum here.

In 2020, the police received tips that the man had been involved in a violent arrest in Syria in January 2013, in which the victim was subjected to severe torture several times. The OM confirmed these tips, leading to the man's arrest on Tuesday. 

According to the police, the man formed part of Liwa A Quds, a prominent Syrian militia that fought for President Bashar Al Assad. The authorities believe Liwa A Quds worked closely with Syrian intelligence services and the Russian armed forces. The OM considers the militia a criminal organization "with the aim of committing international crimes."

"Never before has anyone who fought on the side of the Syrian regime been arrested in the Netherlands because of such suspicions," the Dutch authorities said in a statement published on both the OM and the police websites. 

The man will be arraigned on Friday.