The Syria Trials

In this, the final episode of the season, Fritz catches up with two of the key legal investigators in the Halabi case - Abdallah and Steve Kostas, who have both been an integral part of this season. We find out where the Halabi case currently stands and what we can expect to happen if the case goes to trial.The Syria Trials is a 75 Podcast production. This episode is hosted by Fritz Streiff, and produced by Sasha Edye-Lindner, with research and editorial support from Mais Katt. It was mixed by Tobias Withers. Support for our podcast comes from German Federal Foreign Office funds that are provided by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen IFA’s Zivik Funding Programme.If you’d like to find out more about our podcast, head to our website https://75podcasts.org/ Here you'll find an archive of all our episodes with their transcripts, as well as our other productions.

Khaled al-Halabi might not be behind bars or on trial - but there have been huge developments in the justice for Syria space. Fritz heads back to the city where it all started, Raqqa, which has suffered hugely also since Halabi escaped. He finds out about the cases concerning the huge crimes the city and its citizens have suffered. He also looks at other current legal investigations and trials, from the financing of terrorism to medical torture, as well as some very promising arrest warrants... The Syria Trials is a 75 Podcast production. This episode is hosted by Fritz Streiff, and produced by Sasha Edye-Lindner, with research and editorial support from Mais Katt. It was mixed by Tobias Withers. The voiceover was Alaa Ehsan. Support for our podcast comes from German Federal Foreign Office funds that are provided by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen IFA’s Zivik Funding Programme.If you’d like to find out more about our podcast, head to our website https://75podcasts.org/ Here you'll find an archive of all our episodes with their transcripts, as well as our other productions.

The wheels of justice can turn incredibly slowly. And when a case like Halabi's is slapped with so many setbacks, it can be difficult not to lose hope and faith in the justice process. But even as the Halabi case stalled, other trials were starting in Europe - including one against the Austrian intelligence officials who allegedly smuggled him into the country, paid his rent, and got him asylum... The Syria Trials is a 75 Podcast production. This episode is hosted by Fritz Streiff, and produced by Sasha Edye-Lindner, with research and editorial support from Mais Katt. It was mixed by Tobias Withers. The voiceovers were Saleem Salameh, Muhammad Bakri, Charlie Sammonds, Cyril Nehmé and Amr Hussien. Support for our podcast comes from German Federal Foreign Office funds that are provided by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen IFA’s Zivik Funding Programme.If you’d like to find out more about our podcast, head to our website https://75podcasts.org/ Here you'll find an archive of all our episodes with their transcripts, as well as our other productions.

The case against Khaled al-Halabi wasn't progressing in Austria. The dossier was bursting with documentary evidence - but a strong case also needs vital witness testimony. As the investigators work to add this, France finally realise that a senior Syrian intelligence officer slipped through their fingers. By the time they let the Austrian authorities know, will Halabi still be in Austria? The Syria Trials is a 75 Podcast production. This episode is hosted by Fritz Streiff, and produced by Sasha Edye-Lindner, with research and editorial support from Mais Katt. It was mixed by Tobias Withers.Support for our podcast comes from German Federal Foreign Office funds that are provided by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen IFA’s Zivik Funding Programme.If you’d like to find out more about our podcast, head to our website https://75podcasts.org/ Here you'll find an archive of all our episodes with their transcripts, as well as our other productions.

Brigadier General Khaled al-Halabi had made it to Austria - thanks to the help, we thought, of the Austrian intelligence, called the BVT at the time. But as it turns out, there may have been another intelligence service helping the former Syrian intelligence officer escape France and set up a life in Austria... The Syria Trials is a 75 Podcast production. This episode is hosted by Fritz Streiff, and produced by Sasha Edye-Lindner, with research and editorial support from Mais Katt. It was mixed by Tobias Withers.Support for our podcast comes from German Federal Foreign Office funds that are provided by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen IFA’s Zivik Funding Programme.If you’d like to find out more about our podcast, head to our website https://75podcasts.org/ Here you'll find an archive of all our episodes with their transcripts, as well as our other productions.

As Halabi waited in France to see if his asylum application had been accepted, a nest of legal investigators was stirring. Syrian and Western lawyers and investigators were coming together to see how they could begin to address the atrocity crimes being committed in Syria. But when they caught up with Halabi, he was no longer in France. The Disappearing General had once again disappeared... where had he gone? The Syria Trials is a 75 Podcast production. This episode is hosted by Fritz Streiff, and produced by Sasha Edye-Lindner, with research and editorial support from Mais Katt. It was mixed by Tobias Withers.Support for our podcast comes from German Federal Foreign Office funds that are provided by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen IFA’s Zivik Funding Programme.If you’d like to find out more about our podcast, head to our website https://75podcasts.org/ Here you'll find an archive of all our episodes with their transcripts, as well as our other productions.

Brigadier General Khaled al-Halabi managed to escape Syria and make it to Turkey in the Spring of 2013. But where did he go next? Fritz traces Halabi’s journey from Turkey to Europe - a journey that seems to have been relatively smooth compared to hundreds of thousands of other Syrians’, displaced by the war in Syria. Fritz speaks to some of those who were forced to flee, like Kenan Khadaj and Diana Khayyata, about their journeys to Europe. And as Halabi enters Europe, he is unaware that a nest of legal investigators is stirring, ready to address the crimes against humanity that are being committed in Syria. The Syria Trials is a 75 Podcast production. This episode is hosted by Fritz Streiff, and produced by Sasha Edye-Lindner, with research and editorial support from Mais Katt. It was mixed by Tobias Withers.Support for our podcast comes from German Federal Foreign Office funds that are provided by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen IFA’s Zivik Funding Programme.If you’d like to find out more about our podcast, head to our website https://75podcasts.org/ Here you'll find an archive of all our episodes with their transcripts, as well as our other productions.Useful links: CIJA - https://cijaonline.org/OSJI - https://www.justiceinitiative.org/Eric Emeraux's book - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/hunting-monsters-an-officer-on-the-trail-of-the-world-s-worst-war-criminals-eric-emeraux/7509003

It's March 2013 and Raqqa is celebrating. Opposition forces have taken over the city and the Syrian regime is no longer in control. That means no more intelligence forces, no more security branches, and no more Head of State Security Khaled al-Halabi. As the citizens of Raqqa look towards a new future, where has Halabi escaped to?The Syria Trials is a 75 Podcast production. This episode is hosted by Fritz Streiff, and produced by Sasha Edye-Lindner, with research and editorial support from Mais Katt. The voiceovers were provided by Cyril Nehmé, Muhammad Bakri, Amr Hussien and Alaa Ehsan. It was mixed by Tobias Withers.Support for our podcast comes from German Federal Foreign Office funds that are provided by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen IFA’s Zivik Funding Programme.If you’d like to find out more about our podcast, head to our website https://75podcasts.org/ Here you'll find an archive of all our episodes with their transcripts, as well as our other productions.

Spring 2011. Following the wave of peaceful protests that has swept across the Middle East and North Africa, revolution has now come to Syria. The activists tell us what it was like to finally be able to shout out loud for their rights. Fritz hears about these joyful days - and how the regime quickly reacted with violence. General al-Halabi was the Head of General Intelligence Branch 335 when the uprising began. How did his branch respond to the growing protests?The Syria Trials is a 75 Podcast production. This episode is hosted by Fritz Streiff, and produced by Sasha Edye-Lindner, with research and editorial support from Mais Katt. The voiceovers were provided by Cyril Nehmé and Muhammad Bakri. It was mixed by Tobias Withers.Support for our podcast comes from German Federal Foreign Office funds that are provided by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen IFA’s Zivik Funding Programme.If you’d like to find out more about our podcast, head to our website https://75podcasts.org/ Here you'll find an archive of all our episodes with their transcripts, as well as our other productions.

On June 13th 2015, a diplomatic car made its way from France, through Germany and entered its final destination - Austria. The group in the car included members of the Austrian intelligence services - a man referred to only as White Milk. White Milk was, in fact, the cover name for a senior Syrian intelligence officer - who had worked within an intelligence system known for its violence and brutality.So why was White Milk, real name Khaled al-Halabi,  effectively being smuggled between European countries?Join host Fritz Streiff for the first episode of Season 2 of The Syria Trials - The Disappearing General. Over 11 episodes, we’ll tell the story of Halabi’s work within the Syrian intelligence system, his role in violently suppressing the peaceful Revolution and his escape to Europe, after his city fell out of regime control. Who really is Halabi? And why hasn’t he been arrested yet? The Syria Trials is a 75 Podcast production. This episode is hosted by Fritz Streiff, and produced by Sasha Edye-Lindner, with research and editorial support from Mais Katt. The narrative consultant for the Season was Robert Nicholson. The voiceovers were provided by Cyril Nehmé, Muhammad Bakri and Amr Hussien. It was mixed by Tobias Withers.Support for our podcast comes from German Federal Foreign Office funds that are provided by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen IFA’s Zivik Funding Programme.If you’d like to find out more about our podcast, head to our website https://75podcasts.org/ Here you'll find an archive of all our episodes with their transcripts, as well as our other productions.

We’re in Syria. It’s the year 2000, and Bashar al-Assad has inherited the dictatorship from his father. Syrians who have been hoping that this new President means a freer, more liberal Syria are about to be sorely disappointed. It seems the intelligence services are still what really run Syria - and this is where Khaled al-Halabi is about to be posted. Fritz finds out about the centrality of the intelligence services in Syria, and how Halabi ascended the ranks. He speaks to people who met him, and uncovers more about the kind of person Halabi is.The Syria Trials is a 75 Podcast production. This episode is hosted by Fritz Streiff, and produced by Sasha Edye-Lindner, with research and editorial support from Mais Katt. The voiceovers were provided by Cyril Nehmé, Muhammad Bakri and Amr Hussien. It was mixed by Tobias Withers.Support for our podcast comes from German Federal Foreign Office funds that are provided by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen IFA’s Zivik Funding Programme.If you’d like to find out more about our podcast, head to our website https://75podcasts.org/ Here you'll find an archive of all our episodes with their transcripts, as well as our other productions.

Welcome to Season 2 of The Syria Trials: The Disappearing General. This season, we're following the story of Brigadier General Khaled al-Halabi - the highest-ranking Syrian intelligence officer known to have made it to Europe. But who really is al-Halabi? And why has he not been arrested yet? Join us this season to follow his story.

In this, the 11th and final episode of The Syria Trials, Fritz is joined once more by Kristina Kaghdo, presenter of the Arabic Series of our podcast, to discuss where we are now on the road to justice for Syria. What does the future hold? And what does justice really mean to Syrians, on a individual level?With the voices of:Rime Allaf.A Syrian woman living in Syria.A Syrian man living in Syria.Ismail Alabdullah.A Syrian man living in Turkey.Leila Sibai.Ibrahim Olabi.Ugur Ungor.Ammar Daba.Joumana Seif.Mariana Karkoutly.Thank you for listening to the first season of The Syria Trials. Stay tuned for Season 2, coming in the fall of 2023.The Syria Trials is a 75 Podcast production. This episode is hosted by Fritz Streiff and Kristina Kaghdo, and produced by Sasha Edye-Lindner, with editorial support from Mais Katt. The voiceovers were provided by Nama'a Qudah, Saleem Salameh and Maksim Abdul Latif. It was mixed by Tobias Withers. Support for our podcast comes from German Federal Foreign Office funds that are provided by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen IFA’s Zivik Funding Programme.If you can't get enough of our podcast, head to our website https://75podcasts.org/ Here you'll find an archive of all our episodes with their transcripts, as well as our other productions. 

Bringing justice for Syria requires creativity. And whilst there has been enormous frustration at the lack of an international legal solution to the regime crimes committed in Syria, there has also been enormous innovation. Novel ways of working, new NGOs and much more. Episode 10 is about these innovations in the justice and accountability space. The Syria Trials is a 75 Podcast production. This episode is hosted by Fritz Streiff and produced by Sasha Edye-Lindner, with editorial support from Mais Katt. The stringer in Syria was Muhammad Daboul. It was mixed by Tobias Withers.Support for our podcast comes from German Federal Foreign Office funds that are provided by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen IFA’s Zivik Funding Programme.If you can't get enough of our podcast, head to our website https://75podcasts.org/ Here you'll find an archive of all our episodes with their transcripts, as well as our other productions. Useful links:Syrian Archive - https://syrianarchive.org/Mnemonic - https://mnemonic.org/ White Helmets - https://www.syriacivildefence.org/en/ CIJA - https://cijaonline.org/IIIM - https://iiim.un.org/ People’s Tribunal - https://ptmurderofjournalists.org/syria-case-hearing-nabil-al-sharbaji/Enab Baladi - https://english.enabbaladi.net/CJA - https://cja.org/what-we-do/litigation/colvin-v-syria/ 

Witnesses are the lifeblood of criminal trials. But legal proceedings can be extremely difficult for witnesses. The retelling of experiences, which more often than not were traumatic, can lead to physical and emotional exhaustion, and the possibility of becoming retraumatised is forever looming. In this episode, we hear from a witness who gave her testimony at the Koblenz trial, and from the legal practitioners who put careful consideration for witnesses at the heart of the case building work that they do.The Syria Trials is a 75 Podcast production. This episode is hosted by Fritz Streiff. It was produced by Sasha Edye-Lindner, with editorial support from Mais Katt. The male voiceover was provided by Hosam Omran. The episode was mixed by Tobias Withers.Support for our podcast comes from German Federal Foreign Office funds that are provided by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen IFA’s Zivik Funding Programme.To find out more about our podcast, visit our website https://75podcasts.org/. Here you'll find an archive of all our episodes with their transcripts, as well as our other productions. Useful links:https://www.huquqyat.org/ https://humanityinaction.org/person/mariana-karkoutly/ https://www.ecchr.eu/en/international-crimes-and-accountability/

There are many men who carry out the Assad regime’s bidding - from soldiers in the army to the intelligence officers of the mukhabarat. But there's also another group, who do much of the regime’s dirty work, but who are only unofficially tied to the Assads. These men are known as the shabiha - which translates roughly from the Arabic to mean “ghosts”. But who exactly are these ghosts? Where did they come from and what crimes are they responsible for?The Syria Trials is a 75 Podcast production. This episode is hosted by Fritz Streiff. It was produced by Sasha Edye-Lindner, with editorial support from Mais Katt. The voice over was provided by Ahmad Al Muhammad. Translation was by Alaa Hassan. This episode was mixed by Tobias Withers.Support for our podcast comes from German Federal Foreign Office funds that are provided by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen IFA’s Zivik Funding Programme.To find out more about our podcast, visit our website https://75podcasts.org/. Here you'll find an archive of all our episodes with their transcripts, as well as our other productions. Useful links:https://www.instagram.com/ammarodaba/?hl=en https://www.ungor.nl/ https://en.qantara.de/authors/tarek-azizeh https://mobile.twitter.com/tarekazizeh https://trialinternational.org/latest-post/mouafak-al-d/https://www.prosecutionservice.nl/latest/news/2022/08/12/alleged-militia-member-linked-to-syrian-regime-to-remain-in-custody-on-suspicion-of-war-crimes

The suffering inflicted by the Assad regime reaches beyond the detainees held inside their intelligence branches and prisons. In withholding information about their fate, families are left in limbo - with no knowledge if their loved ones are dead or alive. This episode is about those families.The Syria Trials is a 75 Podcast production. This episode is hosted by Fritz Streiff and produced by Sasha Edye-Lindner, with editorial support from Mais Katt. Translation was by Alaa Hassan. This episode was mixed by Tobias Withers.Support for our podcast comes from German Federal Foreign Office funds that are provided by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen IFA’s Zivik Funding Programme.If you can't get enough of our podcast, head to our website https://75podcasts.org/ Here you'll find an archive of all our episodes with their transcripts, as well as our other productions. Useful links:https://www.caesarfamilies.org/ https://www.fidh.org/en/issues/litigation/q-a-on-the-dabbagh-case-french-judges-issue-3-international-arrest

What position is the Syrian regime really in today? How does it really function? And how, after 11 years of war, and with sanctions placed on the country, is the regime making money? We look at the attempts to stop the normalisation of the Assad regime, and the cases that attempt to hold it accountable for more recent crimes.The Syria Trials is a 75 Podcast production. This episode is hosted by Fritz Streiff. It was produced by Sasha Edye-Lindner, with editorial support from Mais Katt. The voice over was provided by Maksim Abdul Latif. Translation was by Alaa Hassan. This episode was mixed by Tobias Withers.Support for our podcast comes from German Federal Foreign Office funds that are provided by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen IFA’s Zivik Funding Programme.To find out more about our podcast, visit our website https://75podcasts.org/. Here you'll find an archive of all our episodes with their transcripts, as well as our other productions. Useful links:ECCHR Jamil Hassan case - https://www.ecchr.eu/en/case/german-authorities-issue-arrest-warrant-against-jamil-hassan-head-of-the-syrian-air-force-intelligence/ https://www.ecchr.eu/en/case/survivors-sexual-violence-by-syrian-intelligence-services-are-crimes-against-humanity/Der Spiegel Captagon investigation - https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/syrian-drug-smuggling-the-assad-regime-would-not-survive-loss-of-captagon-revenues-a-b4302356-e562-4088-95a1-45d557a3952a

The violence that Syrians have witnessed and suffered since 2011 did not come out of nowhere - there is a history, a background and a basis to it. And so, if we want to better understand what has happened in the country in the past 11 years, we need to travel further back in time - to the beginnings of Assad family rule in Syria. In this episode, we’re uncovering how the pillars of the Assad regime were constructed. The Syria Trials is a 75 Podcast production. This episode is hosted by Fritz Streiff with Kristina Kaghdo. It was produced by Sasha Edye-Lindner, with editorial support from Mais Katt. The voice over was provided by Maksim Abdul Latif. Translation was by Alaa Hassan. This episode was mixed by Tobias Withers.Support for our podcast comes from German Federal Foreign Office funds that are provided by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen IFA’s Zivik Funding Programme.To find out more about our podcast, visit our website https://75podcasts.org/. Here you'll find an archive of all our episodes with their transcripts, as well as our other productions. Useful links:People’s Tribunal for the Murder of Journalists:https://ptmurderofjournalists.org/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soZj8jWEaEQ&t=22763s Sam Dagher: https://samdagherjournalist.com/ Rime Allaf: https://www.rime-allaf.com/ Rifaat al-Assad case: https://trialinternational.org/latest-post/rifaat-al-assads-return-to-syria-a-severe-blow-to-the-fight-against-impunity/   Archive clips:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsyQ442Xvnw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9yPj6PUH8ghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Du75qd8Pgk&t=239s 

In the early hours of the 21st August 2013, the Syrian regime crossed perhaps the biggest red line in the course of the war in Syria - and dropped chemical weapons on Al-Ghouta, in the suburbs of Damascus. We look at that night, and the efforts of activists, documenters and lawyers to hold the perpetrators accountable.Please take care when listening.The Syria Trials is a 75 Podcast production. This episode is hosted by Fritz Streiff, and produced by Sasha Edye-Lindner, with editorial support from Mais Katt. Translation was by Remi Alanini and the voiceover artist was Alaa Hassan. It was mixed by Tobias Withers.Support for our podcast comes from German Federal Foreign Office funds that are provided by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen IFA’s Zivik Funding Programme.If you can't get enough of our podcast, visit our website https://75podcasts.org/. Here you'll find an archive of all our episodes with their transcripts, and our other productions. Useful links:https://www.vdc-sy.info/index.php/en/about https://www.justiceinitiative.org/litigation/french-criminal-investigation-of-chemical-weapons-attacks-in-syria https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52-9vVdPmHY&ab_channel=DWNews https://scm.bz/en/missing-and-killed-scm-members/razan-zaitouneh https://trialinternational.org/latest-post/islam-alloush/https://chemicalweapons.gppi.net/podcast/