Seven Syrian torture survivors, two lawyers and a human rights group have filed a criminal complaint in Germany against secret service officials of President Bashar al-Assad's regime, the initiative said Thursday. "Germany can and must react to grave human rights violations such as torture, massacres and sexual violence in Syria." The case accuses the Assad regime of having carried out "systematic and widespread torture targeting opponents and activists... for several decades". The Syrian ex-detainees, men and women aged 26 to 57, are joined by Syrian lawyers Anwar al-Bunni and Mazen Darwish, who have both themselves been victims of torture and abuse in Syrian regime cells. Bunni added: "Massive human rights violations must not remain unanswered.

Source: Egypt Independent March 03, 2017 15:22 UTC