A Syrian man has been charged with murder as a crime against humanity in a first prosecution of its kind in the UK.
The Metropolitan Police said the 58-year-old was accused of three counts of murder as a crime against humanity, three counts of torture and one charge of conduct ancillary to murder in connection with his time serving as part of the Syrian Air Force Intelligence (SAFI).
The offences are alleged to have happened in April 2011, while he was leading a group that attempted to put an end to demonstrations in the village of Jobar, near Damascus.
The Crown Prosecution Service said it is the first time charges of murder as crimes against humanity under the International Criminal Court Act 2001 have been brought.
The man was arrested at an address in Buckinghamshire in December 2021 and was released on bail until Monday’s charges.
The man, who now lives in the UK, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, the force said.
The investigation was launched by the Counter Terrorism Policing’s (CTP) war crimes unit.
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Commander Helen Flanagan, who leads CTP London, said: “This has been an incredibly complex and challenging investigation, involving enquiries across many countries.
“This has required close cooperation with a number of international partners, as well as our colleagues in the CPS.
“The charges are extremely serious and show that we fully support the UK’s ‘no safe haven’ policy in relation to alleged war criminals.
“Where we are presented with allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity that fall within our jurisdiction, then, as we have shown here, we will not hesitate to investigate those rigorously and robustly.”
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It is understood CTP officers received a referral in November 2020 regarding allegations made against an individual in the Syrian armed forces in the early 2010s.
