A former Syrian colonel has appeared in a London court charged with crimes against humanity, marking the first prosecution of its kind in England and Wales. Salem Al-Salem, 58, is accused of murder and torture during the Syrian government's crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Damascus in 2011.
Al-Salem, who fled to the UK, faces three counts of murder as a crime against humanity, three of torture, and one of conduct ancillary to murder. The charges relate to the deaths of Omal Al-Homsi, Nizar Fayoumi-AlKhatib, Mohammed Salim Zahrak Balik, and Talhat Dalal in April and July 2011, as well as torture between August 2011 and March 2012.
Appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court via video link on Tuesday, Al-Salem had a breathing tube due to motor neurone disease. Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring allowed him not to give his name but refused reporting restrictions, stating that naming the defendant would not increase risk.
The Crown Prosecution Service brought charges under the International Criminal Court Act 2001. Counter Terrorism Policing commander Helen Flanagan said the investigation was complex, adding: 'The charges are extremely serious and show that we fully support the UK's 'no safe haven' policy.'
Al-Salem, under 24-hour curfew, was arrested in Buckinghamshire in 2021. His case will next be heard at the Old Bailey on Friday.
