مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

We’re back for a short but important update: The German Federal Court rejected Eyad A.’s appeal arguments following his conviction in February 2021.

In today’s final episode of this podcast we take you along on our last trip to Koblenz, to the courtroom, to the judgment.

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

In this episode, Hannah gives us a report from Koblenz, detailing the session that was dedicated to the closing defense arguments.

As the verdict in the groundbreaking case against Anwar R. draws near, it's time for final says. In this episode, Hannah walks us through the final pleas of the prosecution and the joint plaintiffs.

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

Join us on a special two-part journey into Anwar R.'s road to Koblenz, as well as all the possible roads that might lay ahead.

Join us on a special two-part journey into Anwar R.'s road to Koblenz, as well as all the possible roads that might lay ahead.

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

War is expensive. On paper, the Assad regime should be broke. And yet, its pockets seem deep enough to carry on waging a bloody war on the Syrian people. In this episode, Noor and Fritz attempt to answer the question that's probably on your mind right now: how do they do it?

In this episode, Fritz and Naya explore how free ex-convicts without a passport really are.

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

In this episode, Naya and Noor explore how, even abroad, the Assad regime is never too far away.

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

In this episode, we're taking a first look at the darker side of medicine within the context of war-torn Syria.

In this court update, Hannah and Fritz discuss the most recent testimonies, the court's puzzling decision to block the recording of the final pleas as well as a motion to label the charge of enforced disappearance as a crime against humanity.

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

In this episode, we’ll be talking about how power, security and fear interrelate and co-produce militarized cityscapes, or security cities.

In this first episode of the third season, we bring you up to speed on what has happened in court since May. As the end of the trial is nearing, the proceedings zero in on Anwar R.'s role in Assad's bloody regime.

In a Branch 251 first, the whole team discusses where we stand, one year after the start of the Al-Khatib-, or Koblenz trial. How have expectations lived up to reality? But also, what is everyone's favorite episode? This is the final episode of season 2. We'll be back before you know it with season 3.

As the trial against Anwar R. continues, the proceedings have focussed on his alleged contributions to the systematic violence in Syria. What was his role within the mukhabarat exactly? In this last court update of the season, Hannah tells us about two ex-detainees who detailed their personal experience with Anwar R. during their time in the notorious branch 251.

In this episode, Fritz and Asser explore the historical ties between Germany's intelligence services and Syria's Mukhabarat. How did they come about and what did Syria learn from Germany? And how does Koblenz fit into this?

A popular Syrian actress is invited for a "cup of coffee" in Branch 251. Years later, she's too afraid to testify in court about her strange encounter with Anwar R. Plus, the motion to add sexual violence as a crime against humanity to the charges against Anwar R. is accepted.

This episode is not one we expected to make, but as we were pitching and developing, it became clear that we couldn't have made anything else.

We take a closer look at the verdict against Eyad A. Who is celebrating? Who is disappointed? And what does this mean for the case against Anwar R? Listen to reactions and opinions from outside the courtroom in Koblenz, a court report from Hannah, as well as analysis from Asser and Fritz about the impact of this verdict.

Eyad A. is now officially the first person to be held accountable in court for complicity in crimes against humanity committed during the Syrian conflict. Fritz, Hannah and Saleem went to Koblenz to witness this historic decision. Learn more next week, when we take a deep dive into Eyad A.'s conviction.

It's the most effective weapon and yet, it's free: sexual and gender-based violence. By exploiting deeply-rooted gender norms, the Syrian regime attempts to break an entire society, one family at a time. In Koblenz, the judges have been asked to consider these types of crimes as crimes against humanity. This episode we'll explore why they deserve that label, and why they weren't considered crimes against humanity already.

On the 24th of February, the judges are scheduled to pass a verdict in the case of Eyad A. He could face a prison sentence if convicted, but the question is: should he be convicted at all? Because, what choice did he really have?

You’re used to hearing from legal experts, journalists, human rights activists. For this episode, we’re passing the mic to Syrians of different backgrounds, inside and outside of Syria, to hear what they think of Koblenz. People who’ve heard of the trial, people who haven’t, people who are wildly enthusiastic about Koblenz, and some who are a little bit more sceptical.

A German federal police officer explained to the judges in Koblenz what he learned after collecting and analyzing satellite imagery from a stretch of land northeast of Damascus.

The podcast about the worldwide first criminal trial against Syrian regime officials is back! Just before the end of the year, the new team brings you this episode with an update on the most important developments of the trial in Koblenz from the past couple of months.

"There's a reason it's called crimes against humanity": In this season finale, we discuss a testimony that stands out: witness Z 30/07/19, a grave digger for the Assad regime with a first-hand account of the massive scale of the crimes against humanity that the regime is accused of. Special testimonies like these make you suddenly realize what this whole trial is all about.

Fritz and court reporter Hannah dissect the special testimony of leading Syrian opposition figure Riad Seif, the man who vouched for Anwar R. to get asylum in Germany. The country that is now prosecuting him for crimes against humanity.

Koblenz is a small step on the long road to what, exactly? In this episode, Fritz talks to Syrian lawyer and human rights defender Mazen Darwish about justice for Syria and Syrians, its forms and challenges, and what the trial in Koblenz means to him.

The Koblenz court recently rejected two motions regarding translation and audio recording of the trial. While the court argues these decisions protect witness testimonies and the road to justice, NGOs and legal scholars worry that denying translation and recording could diminish the impact of the trial.

‘Caesar’ is the code name of a Syrian military photographer turned defector. He was tasked with taking photos of dead detainees. Tens of thousands of them. He later turned on his bosses and smuggled the photographs out of Syria. Together with journalist Garance Le Caisne and victims lawyer Patrick Kroker, we tell you the story behind the Caesar Photos and their relevance as evidence in the Koblenz trial.

In this episode, Fritz takes a look back at the first-ever universal jurisdiction trial based on Germany’s Code of Crimes Against International Law, a trial against two Rwandan militia leaders for crimes committed in Congo.

مسؤولون سوريّون متّهمون بالتعذيب وبجرائم حرب قيد المحاكمة في مدينة كوبلينز بألمانيا

This week's episode is a deep dive into the recent testimonies of key witnesses whose statements might incriminate both defendants. However, the lines between truth and exaggeration, threats and self-preservation were blurred as three men spoke and the court listened.

After almost 10 (!) years of war, devastation, crimes and gruesome images from Syria, are we still reading? Watching? Listening? Really? We tried to find answers to this complex question. And bring you a court report straight from Koblenz.

In this episode, Fritz and Karam speak to two international mental health experts, Dr. Vedrana Mladina and Diana Rayes. They comment on the accounts of survivors we interviewed in the previous episode. And we ask them how exposure to war and torture affects survivors' lives, and what their needs are after torture to lead a healthy life.

In this episode, Fritz and Karam speak to two survivors of Branch 251. They share with us the painful details of their detention, memories and how this impacts their lives now. And what they would ask the accused if they got the chance.

Last week in court was special: Syrian survivors spoke as witnesses for the first time. One of them, Feras Fayyad tells us about his experience testifying in court and opening up about being sexually violated at Branch 251. We talk to two experts who tell us more about sexual violence in international cases and how the Syrian regime has used it as a weapon of war against its own people.

Eyad A. is the second defendant in the trial. The smaller fish. The less interesting accused. Or is he? Karam and Fritz go on a journey to find answers to this question. We talked to friends, family, a colleague of his from Branch 251, and a court reporter to find out more.

In this week’s episode, Fritz and Karam speak to Der Spiegel’s Christoph Reuter about Anwar R. Christoph Reuter interviewed him in 2013 over two days and tells us "how he ticks".

This week in court, the main accused Anwar R. reacted to the accusations against him with a statement that his lawyers read to the court. His defense in short: there was no torture when I was in charge, later others did it, I tried to help but couldn't do more, and then I fled the country. How did this go down in court and how did the public gallery react to his statement?

How did the Branch 251 trial actually come about? Your hosts Karam and Fritz talked to someone who played an important role in transforming the terrible stories of these crimes into legal cases: Anwar Al Bunni. He has been instrumental in building the case and kick-starting this first criminal trial against Syrian officials.

This episode takes you into Branch 251. Or Al Khatib Branch, as it is known among survivors. Your hosts Karam and Fritz talked to them. Based on their accounts, this is how a detainee's journey looks like from arrest and arrival at the Branch, to the cells and interrogation rooms -- or better: torture chambers.

On this first episode of Branch 251, your hosts Fritz and Karam introduce the listeners to the trial that started in Koblenz, Germany, on 23 April 2020.

This is an introduction to Branch 251, a podcast about the world’s first criminal trial dealing with accusations of crimes against humanity against members of Bashar al Assad’s Syrian military.