A Syrian doctor living in Germany has been charged with crimes against humanity for his role in the Syria war.
Alaa M was first charged in June 2020 with torturing detainees when he worked inside a prison run by President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian city of Homs in 2011.
One of his victims was tortured to death, German prosecutor documents found.
Alaa M left Syria in 2015 and moved to Germany, where he began practising as a doctor.
Claims of torture against Alaa M were first revealed in a joint investigation between Al Jazeera Arabic and German newspaper Der Spiegel.
READ: Want to Know How to Get a Perfect Night’s Sleep?
The tension escalated to an armed conflict after protests calling for Assad’s removal were violently suppressed.
The conflict in Syria has killed at least 500,000 people since it started in 2011 with the brutal repression of peaceful demonstrations by forces loyal to Assad.
International organisations have accused virtually all sides involved, including the conflict of severe human rights violations and massacres.
The conflict has caused a major refugee crisis. A number of peace initiatives have been launched throughout the war, including the March 2017 Geneva peace talks on Syria led by the United Nations, but fighting has continued.
