Until this week, Germany and Beirut had been refusing to confirm reports that Berlin was seeking the extradition of Syria’s air force intelligence head. Then the State Department publically called on Lebanon to follow through the request and hand over the man who has presided over one of Syria’s most feared security agencies through a long bloody war.
The 66-year-old is thought to be undergoing treatment at a hospital in Lebanon.
The US Department of State said it “would welcome any decision by the Government of Lebanon that would facilitate the lawful extradition of Syrian General Jamil Hassan to Germany.” The press release on Tuesday added that Mr Hassan was “notorious for his alleged involvement in the extensive use of torture in Syrian detention centres”.
The German federal prosecutor as well as the Lebanese public prosecutor have refused to comment on media reports published mid-February alleging that Germany had requested Mr Hassan’s extradition.
"The Federal Prosecutor's office – with the exception of specific cases – does not state whether it is investigating on an individual, has issued an arrest warrant, or requested extradition", the German authorities told The National by e-mail.
The request is highly sensitive in Lebanon where Hezbollah, a strong ally of the Syrian regime, plays an important role in local politics.
Mr Hassan has been targeted since 2011 by US and EU sanctions for his role in the violent crackdown against anti-government protests. In an interview with The Independent news website in late 2016, Mr Hassan said he regretted the regime had not been tough enough against protestors.
The Syrian government is believed to have executed over 10,000 people in military prisons since the start of the war and thousands more were brutally tortured, including at sights run by Mr Hassan’s Air Force Intelligence.
Lebanon’s general prosecutor, Samir Hamoud, declined to answer questions regarding Mr Hassan. The Justice and Interior ministries did not respond to a request for comment.
However, Lebanese Interior Minister Raya Hassan acknowledged she was aware of the case when she told reporters on February 21 that there was no “Interpol request regarding the head of Syrian air force intelligence”, according to the state-run National News Agency.
The reason that Germany's arrest warrant has not been made public by Interpol is because this would require the consent of the Syrian government, Ibrahim Al Kasem, a Syrian lawyer based in Germany, told The National.
Germany’s case would have been stronger if there an extradition agreement existed between both countries.
But this does not stop Germany from asking for extradition through the Lebanese Foreign Ministry, he said. Mr Al Kasem is also the executive director of the Caesar file’s group, named after a military defector who smuggled tens of thousands of photos of killed and tortured detainees in Syrian prisons.
Should Lebanon allow Mr Hassan's extradition, certain conditions would have to be met, such as recognising that what Mr Hassan is accused of in Germany is also punishable by law in Lebanon, added Mr Al Kasem.
In June last year, German prosecutors had already issued an international arrest warrant for Mr Hassan on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The warrant was issued under universal jurisdiction, which allows a limited number of countries such as Germany, Norway and Sweden to prosecute and try crimes committed abroad.
German prosecutors accused Mr Hassan of overseeing some of the most horrific crimes committed by Syrian intelligence agencies, including torture, rape and murder of “at least hundreds of people between 2011 and 2013”, reported Germany magazine Der Spiegel.
A few months later, French prosecutors followed suit when they issued arrest warrants for three Syrian officials, including Mr Hassan, for collusion in acts of torture, forced disappearances, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
The other two Syrian officials targeted were Ali Mamluk, National Security Bureau director, and Abdel Salam Mahmoud, in charge of the air force intelligence's investigative branch at the Mezzeh military airport in Damascus.
Activists believe there is little chance that Lebanon will extradite Mr Hassan, quoting previous high-profile requests.
“Lebanon never extradited the four Hezbollah-linked suspects in Rafiq Hariri’s killing”, says Mr Al Kasem, referring to the assassination of the Lebanese Prime Minister in 2005.
However, Germany has made headway recently in arresting Syrians accused of torture and abuse against prisoners. Two suspected former secret service officers, identified as Anwar R., 56, Eyad A., 42, were arrested mid-February on German territory. The operation was coordinated with France where a third suspect, whose name was not revealed, was arrested.
Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
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
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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Draw
Quarter-finals
Real Madrid (ESP) or Manchester City (ENG) v Juventus (ITA) or Lyon (FRA)
RB Leipzig (GER) v Atletico Madrid (ESP)
Barcelona (ESP) or Napoli (ITA) v Bayern Munich (GER) or Chelsea (ENG)
Atalanta (ITA) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Ties to be played August 12-15 in Lisbon
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
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)
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Borussia Dortmund, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
WTL%20SCHEDULE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Palestine and Israel - live updates
Match info
Athletic Bilbao 0
Real Madrid 1 (Ramos 73' pen)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
