Sweden charges Syria militant with war crimes
Swedish prosecutors have charged a Syrian-born militant with war crimes and violating international law while fighting against the government in Syria.
Prosecutors said Monday that the 28-year-old suspect, who was a member of the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA), was charged at the district court of Södertörn, south of the capital, Stockholm, with committing war crimes and an aggravated assault on a captured Syrian soldier.
Prosecutor Hanna Lemoine said the decision to press the charges came after police received access to video footage showing the suspect along with other people participating in the vicious assault of the captive and bound soldier. The crimes are believed to have taken place between May and July 2012.
Lemoine added that the former member of the FSA is currently being held in custody.
In addition, prosecutors explained that the suspect was indicted in Sweden as he had applied for and been granted permanent residency in Sweden in 2013, after the alleged war crimes took place.
The former FSA militant has denied the charges against him, claiming he “acted under duress;” however, if convicted, he could received a jail term of up to ten years.
Syria has been grappling with a deadly crisis since March 2011. The violence fuelled by Takfiri groups has so far claimed the lives of over 200,000 people, according to reports. New figures show that over 76,000 people, including thousands of children, lost their lives in Syria last year.
Over 7.2 million Syrians have also become internally displaced due to the ongoing crisis, according to the United Nations.
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