A former Syrian air force colonel faced a novel set of charges in a British court Tuesday: three counts of murder as a crime against humanity for civilian attacks in a Damascus suburb in 2011. Al-Salem was part of a Syrian Air Force Intelligence group assigned to suppress demonstrations in the Damascus suburb of Jobar in 2011, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said in court papers al-Salem was responsible for killing three people "as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population." "It is alleged that Mr. al-Salem led a group of militants tasked with quelling the demonstrations in the Jobar area," prosecutors said. British prosecutors can bring charges for some international offenses, including crimes against humanity and torture, even if they were committed outside the country.

Source: The Telegraph March 10, 2026 15:33 UTC