Arab News | Syria trials probe military hospitals’ role in detainee deaths

DAMASCUS: Trials of former forensic officials are examining allegations that military hospitals helped conceal detainees’ identities and falsify causes of death under Syria’s deposed regime, a senior transitional justice official said Wednesday.

Radif Mustafa, director of the Accountability Department at the National Commission for Transitional Justice, said the proceedings could expose the involvement of medical personnel in abuses against detainees and efforts to conceal them.

Mustafa said Damascus’ Fourth Criminal Court for Transitional Justice held 10 hearings on Tuesday, continuing existing trials and opening new cases involving alleged serious violations committed under the ousted regime.

Former forensic chief stands trial on war crimes charges

Among the cases was the trial of former Brig. Gen. Akram Al-Shaar, who headed the forensic medicine division at Tishreen Military Hospital.

Al-Shaar faces charges of complicity in repeated acts of torture resulting in death, offenses classified as war crimes and crimes against humanity, Mustafa said.

The indictment was read in his presence, and prosecutors submitted a six-page charge sheet identifying prosecution witnesses.

Al-Shaar denied the charges and retracted his initial statements. The court ordered witnesses to appear and adjourned the hearing until Nov. 18.

Mustafa said the case was significant because of Al-Shaar’s alleged role in leading three-member forensic committees responsible for examining the bodies of deceased detainees.

The proceedings could shed light on how forensic personnel handled bodies, established identities, documented signs of torture and prepared death reports, he said.

The case is part of a broader investigation into alleged abuses linked to Hospital 601, Tishreen Military Hospital and Harasta Hospital, including the concealment of detainees’ identities and remains and the issuance of potentially falsified death reports.

Forensic records key to truth and accountability

The court also heard proceedings involving former Col. and forensic physician Ayman Khallu, highlighting investigations into the possible involvement of medical personnel in abuses committed in detention facilities and military hospitals.

Mustafa said the trials aim to establish individual responsibility while uncovering the institutions and practices that enabled violations or helped conceal them.

He stressed that accountability must be based on documented evidence and fair judicial procedures rather than defendants’ former positions alone.

Investigations into detainees who died in detention centers and military hospitals remain central to efforts to determine the fate of missing persons, he said.

Medical and forensic records could help identify victims, establish causes of death, document torture and determine whether official reports accurately reflected the circumstances surrounding detainees’ deaths.

Mustafa said such evidence is essential to establishing responsibility and safeguarding victims’ families’ right to truth and justice.