Prosecutors said the defendant committed crimes against humanity during Syria's civil war, including dozens of acts of torture and sexual violence against civilians. The defendant, Rafiq al Q, 58, claimed asylum in the Netherlands in 2021 and lived in the small town of Druten in the eastern part of the country when he was arrested in 2023. The trial is based on universal jurisdiction, a legal principle that allows suspects to be prosecuted for international offences such as war crimes even if they are committed in another country.
Rafiq al Q told judges at the District Court of The Hague that the nine victims in the case, the witnesses, and Dutch police were all lying about his role as a lead interrogator for the pro-government National Defence Force. According to Euronews, Rafiq al Q described a conspiracy against him. The defendant refuted accusations of being a supporter of Syria's ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad.
All of them are conspiring against me.
He told judges that he had worked as a civil servant in the central city of Salamiyah and denied involvement in torture. During one exchange, the man attempted to submit evidence, waving a piece of paper at the presiding judge. His lawyer, André Seebregts, said it was not clear what the evidence was.
According to Euronews, Rafiq al Q described not telling his lawyer everything. The exact nature of the conspiracy he claims and the specific evidence he attempted to submit remain unclear, as do the details of the torture allegations and how Dutch authorities identified him.
I don't tell my lawyer everything.