A Syrian man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for war crimes over his role in the execution of a government soldier during the country's civil war.
A Dutch court said Ahmad al Khedr, also known as Abu Khuder, was a member of the Nusra Front rebel group, at one point an Al Qaeda affiliate in Syria.
Judges said his voice could be heard in a video of the execution of a captured, bloodied Syrian soldier who was shot on the banks of the River Euphrates in 2012.
"Executing an imprisoned foe by the accused is not only murder but also an egregious violation of the written and unwritten rules of international humanitarian law and universal human rights," the judges wrote in their 40-page verdict.
The case against Al Khedr was brought under Dutch universal jurisdiction laws, under which national courts can try suspects for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed on foreign soil as long as the accused lives in the Netherlands.
Al Khedr has been in the Netherlands since 2014, where he was granted temporary asylum.
The charges were based on witness testimonies provided by German police, Dutch authorities said.
It is the third time a Dutch court has convicted a Syrian citizen of war crimes during the civil war, previously handing down prison terms of up to seven years.
Al Khedr's sentence was more severe than those of previous cases with Syrian fighters because he was found to have participated personally in the execution.
In the absence of a tribunal for atrocities in Syria, where an estimated 400,000 people have been killed in a decade of civil war that has driven millions more from their homes, European courts have tried a handful of suspects. But most alleged crimes have gone unpunished.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 1 (Hudson-Odoi 90 1')
Manchester City 3 (Gundogan 18', Foden 21', De Bruyne 34')
Man of the match: Ilkay Gundogan (Man City)
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
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.
Vaccine Progress in the Middle East
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
RESULT
Liverpool 4 Southampton 0
Jota (2', 32')
Thiago (37')
Van Dijk (52')
Man of the match: Diogo Jota (Liverpool)
The biog
Name: Sari Al Zubaidi
Occupation: co-founder of Cafe di Rosati
Age: 42
Marital status: single
Favourite drink: drip coffee V60
Favourite destination: Bali, Indonesia
Favourite book: 100 Years of Solitude
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Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
