A former Syrian colonel, Salem Al-Salem, 58, is set to stand trial in October 2027 over alleged crimes against humanity, including shooting and torturing protesters in Damascus in 2011. He faces charges of murder, torture, and conduct ancillary to murder, which he is likely to contest.
The case, heard at the Old Bailey, is the first in the UK charging someone with murder as a crime against humanity under the International Criminal Court Act 2001. Prosecutors claim Al-Salem ordered officers to shoot civilians and personally shot some protesters during a crackdown on demonstrations.
Al-Salem is also accused of torturing detainees in a Damascus intelligence facility, including beatings, electrocution, and hanging by handcuffs. At the time, he served as a colonel in the Syrian Air Force Intelligence, described as one of Syria’s most brutal security agencies.
The investigation, conducted over four years by Counter Terrorism Policing’s war crimes unit with international cooperation, highlights the UK’s commitment to its “no safe haven” policy for alleged war criminals. Al-Salem, who suffers from motor neurone disease, is currently housebound on bail.
