The Dutch justice system has convicted a former leader of a pro-Assad militia of torture and sexual violence as crimes against humanity in Syria
13/07/2026
On 15 June 2026, the District Court of The Hague sentenced Rafiq al-Qatrib, a former leader of the National Defence Forces (NDF), a paramilitary militia linked to Bashar al-Assad’s regime, to 26 years’ imprisonment for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Syria between 2013 and 2014. The verdict marks a milestone for the Dutch...
