Sweden to put former Syria general on trial over suspected war crimes

A former Syrian army general is set to appear before a Swedish court to face charges over his alleged role in war crimes committed 12 years ago.

According to an indictment seen by the AFP news agency this week, 65-year-old Mohammed Hamo – who lives in Sweden – has been accused of involvement in the indiscriminate strikes on and surrounding the Syrian cities of Hama and Homs between January 1 and July 20, 2012.

Those strikes during the early days of the ongoing Syrian civil war were reportedly conducted from air and land without distinction between civilian and military targets, blatantly defying international law. Hamo is accused of having particularly made decisions regarding the arming of operational units and the implementation of various military operations.

According to the case’s prosecutor Karolina Wieslander, Hamo and the activities he allegedly participated in failed to respect the principle of proportionality in war to achieve the stated military goal.

His upcoming appearance at the court in the Swedish capital, Stockholm, will reportedly include the testimonies of seven civil parties, many of whom are Syrians from the affected cities in question. It will be latest legal challenge and potential prosecution against a former member of the Syrian regime’s military or security apparatus, others of whom have been put on trial throughout a number European countries in recent years.

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