Former Syrian intelligence officials on trial in Austria for torture

Two former Syrian officials – identified by the press as former intelligence chief Major General Khaled al‑Halabi and former criminal‑investigation chief Captain Musab Abu Rakbah – appeared before a Vienna court on charges of ordering torture of protesters detained in Raqqa between 2011 and 2013. Austrian prosecutors say the men directed the mistreatment of at least 21 detainees and accuse them of severe physical and sexual abuse, with penalties up to ten years in prison. The indictment removes the usual ten‑year statute of limitations. The trial, set to run for 13 days until 30 June, follows the pair’s 2015 asylum applications in Austria. Victims living in Syria and Europe are expected to testify. The case also references alleged past protection by Austrian intelligence and a 2015 arrangement with Israel’s Mossad, raising concerns that Austria could become a haven for war‑crime suspects.