Dutch court sentences Syrian to 26 years in prison for torture

THE HAGUE: A ‌district court in The Hague on Monday sentenced to 26 years in prison a former pro-Assad militia member ​for committing crimes against humanity by torturing and raping prisoners more than a decade ago. The judges said it was established that 58-year-old Rafik A., whose last name was withheld by the Dutch court, was an interrogator for the National Defense Forces in Salamiyah, Syria, in ‌2013 and ‌2014. The NDF was ​a ‌militia ⁠group ​that fought on ⁠the side of the government of former President Bashar Assad, who was ousted in December 2024. During his trial Rafik A.