19 ongoing investigations into Syrian war criminals in Belgium
One year after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the federal prosecutor’s office is conducting 19 criminal investigations into potential Syrian war criminals living in Belgium. The figures were released on Thursday as part of an investigation by the ICIJ consortium, with contributions from De Tijd, Le Soir and Knack.
The international project, The Damascus Dossier, examined more than 134,000 leaked documents from Assad’s intelligence services, exposing the extent of systematic torture under the regime. The investigation also points to a Belgian connection. Inquiries within the Syrian community in Belgium suggest that suspected war criminals and regime supporters may be present in the country.
To date, the federal prosecutor’s office has opened 27 files related to violations of humanitarian law, including alleged war crimes committed in Syria under Assad. Eight cases have since been closed without further action, according to spokesperson Yasmina Vanoverschelde.
“There are still 19 criminal investigations ongoing. Some relate to Islamic State fighters who participated in crimes in the country during the Assad regime,” she says.
Four of the active investigations are in the hands of an investigating judge. However, experts remain sceptical about the prospects for accountability. Ghent University specialist Brigitte Herremans expresses limited confidence in Belgium’s ability to pursue these cases effectively, citing persistent shortages in personnel and resources.
“The federal prosecutor’s office says it has already received reinforcements, but doesn’t hide the fact that there has been a shortage of police investigators to conduct war crimes investigations for some time,” she said.
Saydnaya prison in Damascus, Syria, the site of some of the worst atrocities of Bashar al-Assad's rule © PHOTO ABDULAZIZ KETAZ / AFP
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