Five Syrians being detained in Germany were among a group of pro-Bashar Al Assad gunmen who opened fire on protesters during the country's civil war, war crimes prosecutors have said.
New court documents reveal in full the claims that members of a pro-Assad militia called the Free Palestine Movement, plus a military intelligence agent, killed unarmed civilians in Damascus in 2012. Their detention in Germany has been extended by three months while investigators gather more evidence.
Prosecutors also suspect four of the men of abusing civilians at checkpoints manned by the Free Palestine Movement in Syria. The fifth, Mazhar J, is suspected of handing over victims to Branch 227 of Syria's military intelligence, which later killed 41 people in a mass execution in Damascus, investigators say.
The five men moved to Germany between 2014 and 2018, but judges ruled they have put down few social or family ties that would prevent them fleeing for Syria if released pending charges. Syrian citizen Mazhar J and stateless Syrian Palestinians Jihad A, Mahmoud A, Sameer S and Wael S were arrested last year.
According to court papers, the four stateless men were armed members of the Free Palestine Movement, which as a pro-Assad militia was the subject of anti-regime protests in the Palestinian quarter of Damascus, called Yarmouk. The court heard Yarmouk became "one of the most fought-over neighbourhoods in Syria" as the militias battled for control.
Matters came to a head on July 13, 2012 as Friday prayers in the neighbourhood turned into a protest against both the Syrian regime and UN special envoy Kofi Annan. According to German prosecutors, warning shots were initially fired to scatter the crowd, before four of the suspects opened fire on demonstrators, killing at least three.
Half an hour later, it is alleged, three of the suspects opened fire with Kalashnikov machineguns at a second group of protesters who had assembled on another street in Yarmouk. One of the shooters is said to have fired so much ammunition that he repeatedly had to reload. At least three more people including a 14-year-old boy were killed.
The Free Palestine Movement was one of several Palestinian factions involved in the civil war, some of which opposed the regime. Once home to about 150,000 Palestinians, Yarmouk's population dwindled drastically as ISIS fighters took control in 2015 before Syrian forces recaptured the neighbourhood in 2018. Some of its former residents have recently returned to Yarmouk for the first time in years after Mr Al Assad was forced from power in December.
The German case relies on four witnesses, including an ambulance driver, who say they saw one or more of the suspects take part in the armed crackdown on July 13, 2012. A brother has also given evidence to detectives about Mazhar J's links to Syrian military intelligence.
Defence lawyers said one key witness had confused Sameer S with an uncle but this was rejected by the court. Further testimony has been taken from witnesses in Austria, Sweden and the Netherlands as part of the inquiry.
The court heard investigators in Berlin need more time to assess video material gathered from Syrian military intelligence, while devices seized at the homes of two of the suspects are still being examined. Beyond the violence of July 13, they believe they can tie several of the suspects to abuse of civilians lasting until 2014.
It is suspected that "victims’ heads were punched with fists and beaten with rifle butts, or they were brutalised with kicks" at checkpoints set up by the Free Palestine militia. One woman was allegedly coerced into handing over family jewellery by Mahmoud A to free her young son, while Mazhar J is said to have abused a victim with his own hands in a prison run by Syrian intelligence.
The German prosecutor's office that handles war crimes cases said it hopes to file charges by the middle of 2025. All five men face life sentences in prison if found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Many European countries claim a “universal jurisdiction” to prosecute grave crimes that occurred outside their territory. Sweden last Monday jailed a woman for 12 years for keeping prisoners captured by ISIS as "slaves" and forcibly converting them to Islam at her home in Syria.
Berlin is meanwhile making overtures to the new regime in Damascus under President Ahmed Al Shara, amid a debate over the future of the almost one million Syrian diaspora in Germany. One diplomat told The National the outreach to Syria gives Germany a chance to repair ties with the Arab world damaged by the Israel-Gaza war.
Villains
Queens of the Stone Age
Matador
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
The biog
Favourite hobby: I love to sing but I don’t get to sing as much nowadays sadly.
Favourite book: Anything by Sidney Sheldon.
Favourite movie: The Exorcist 2. It is a big thing in our family to sit around together and watch horror movies, I love watching them.
Favourite holiday destination: The favourite place I have been to is Florence, it is a beautiful city. My dream though has always been to visit Cyprus, I really want to go there.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
'Avengers: Infinity War'
Dir: The Russo Brothers
Starring: Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Robert Downey Junior, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen
Four stars
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
