Lawyers acting for the woman, known as Mrs AH, argue that she is the victim of her brother’s forced disappearance, torture and execution – and that the Spanish courts have the jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute the case. Details of the driver’s fate emerged after a Syrian forensic officer defected in September 2013, fleeing the country with more than 50,000 photographs. Lawyers for Mrs AH filed their complaint with the Spanish courts at the end of January this year. Almudena Bernabéu, a partner at the Guernica 37 International Justice Chambers, which is acting for Mrs AH, described the judge’s decision as significant for all those who had suffered in Syria. It says that the evidence submitted clearly shows that the Assad regime has been committing acts of terrorism by using its security forces and intelligence agencies to punish the civilian population.

Source: The Guardian March 27, 2017 14:12 UTC