{"id":31442,"date":"2022-01-15T14:51:16","date_gmt":"2022-01-15T13:51:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/?p=31442"},"modified":"2022-01-15T14:53:52","modified_gmt":"2022-01-15T13:53:52","slug":"syrian-official-convicted-in-germany-gives-hope-that-iranian-officials-will-finally-be-held-accountable-for-their-human-rights-abuses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iranfreedom.org\/en\/articles\/2022\/01\/syrian-official-convicted-in-germany-gives-hope-that-iranian-officials-will-finally-be-held-accountable-for-their-human-rights-abuses\/31442\/","title":{"rendered":"Syrian Official Convicted in Germany Gives Hope That Iranian Officials Will Finally Be Held Accountable for Their Human Rights Abuses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The perpetrators of the 1988 massacre in Iran, which executed more than 30,000 political prisoners across the country\u2019s prisons, have not yet been punished for their crimes against humanity.<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On Thursday, January 13, 2022, senior Syrian intelligence officer Anwar Raslan was convicted in a German court<\/a>, under the principle of universal jurisdiction. His charges include 27 counts of murder from during his role in the Syrian regime\u2019s brutal detention system, as well as instances of sexual assault, and the torture of over 4000 people at a prison in Damascus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the countless survivors of the Syrian government\u2019s crackdowns, Raslan\u2019s conviction was greatly welcomed. International human rights advocates, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, were also pleased with the outcome of his trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bachelet gave a statement following the news, saying, \u201cToday\u2019s verdict should serve to spur forward all efforts to widen the net of accountability. This conviction has put State authorities on notice \u2013 no matter where you are or how senior you may be, if you perpetrate torture or other serious human rights violations, you will be held accountable sooner or later, at home or abroad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the principle of universal jurisdiction, anyone accused of serious human rights violations can be detained in any country across the globe, even if the crimes took place elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The National Council of Resistance of Iran<\/a> (NCRI) said<\/a>, \u201cSyrian victims of the Assad regime had previously expressed hope that Raslan and others would be subjected to trial before the International Criminal Court, but universal jurisdiction provides an alternative pathway to accountability in cases where truly international prosecution is rendered unlikely by the need for a prior resolution by the United Nations Security Council.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the five permanent members of the UNSC hold veto power over proposed resolutions, it makes it difficult to initiate prosecution at the ICC against figures with connections to one or more of those member states. It is this factor that is preventing Iranian human rights abuses from being held accountable for their crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is for this reason that many critics of the Iranian regime are promoting universal jurisdiction as a way of securing such accountability, including those affiliated with the Iranian opposition group, the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent months, the NCRI <\/a>has hosted a number of conferences, and protest rallies, demanding justice for the victims of the massacre of political prisoners in Iran over 30 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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