Federal Court of Justice - Maximum sentence for war crimes in Damascus confirmed
A man has rightly been sentenced to the maximum penalty for a deadly attack on people waiting at a distribution point for aid packages in the Syrian capital Damascus. The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) in Karlsruhe confirmed the decision of the Berlin Court of Appeal in February, which had found the then 55-year-old of Palestinian origin guilty of a particularly serious war crime as well as four counts of murder and attempted murder in two cases. The judges imposed a life sentence and established the particular gravity of the guilt, which would have virtually ruled out early release after 15 years.
When reviewing the verdict, the third criminal senate of the Federal Court of Justice found no legal errors, according to information provided on Friday. "The judgment is therefore legally binding," it continued. (Ref. 3 StR 306/23)
According to the Court of Appeal, the man had shot into a crowd of people without warning and deliberately with an anti-tank weapon on 23 March 2014 in the Al Yarmouk district, a neighborhood of Damascus that had emerged from a Palestinian refugee camp. "To avoid starvation", the people there had gathered to distribute relief supplies. The attack was an act of revenge after the man's 25-year-old nephew had been killed shortly beforehand in an exchange of fire with fighters from the "Free Syrian Army" (FSA).
Press release
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- The maximum penalty for war crimes in Damascus was upheld by the Federal Court of Justice in Germany, following judgments against a man convicted of murder and attempted murder.
- The man, of Palestinian origin, was found guilty of a particularly serious war crime and four counts of murder in Berlin Court of Appeal processes.
- The court in Berlin sentenced the man to life in prison for his attack on a crowd awaiting aid packages in Damascus, considering the gravity of his actions.
- The Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe confirmed the Berlin court's decision, ruling that there were no legal errors in the sentence.
- The 2014 attack in Damascus's Al Yarmouk district, which had emerged from a Palestinian refugee camp, was committed with an anti-tank weapon against people gathering for relief supplies.
- The act of terrorism was an act of revenge, as the man's nephew had been killed by fighters from the Free Syrian Army beforehand.
- This case highlights the ongoing conflicts and criminality in Syria, leading to severe consequences, including prison sentences and global judicial processes.
- The confirmation of the maximum penalty for this war crime sends a strong message against terrorism and reckless violence in conflict zones such as Damascus.
Source: www.stern.de
