Der Generalbundesanwalt beim Bundesgerichtshof (GBA)
GBA: Two Suspected Members of the Foreign Terrorist Organisation 'Liwa Jund al Rahman' Arrested
Karlsruhe (ots)
In execution of arrest warrants issued by the investigating judge at the Federal Court of Justice, the Syrian nationals
Amer A.
and Basel O.
were arrested in Kiel and Munich yesterday (6 September 2023) at the behest of the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office. In this context, the suspects' premises were searched as well. The Federal Criminal Police Office and the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office had been tasked with conducting the police investigation. The Schleswig Holstein State Criminal Police Office and the Federal Police lent support to the operation in Kiel.
There are strong grounds to suspect Amer A. and Basel O. of membership of the foreign terrorist organisation 'Liwa Jund al Rahman' (section 129a para. 1 no. 1 of the German Criminal Code, section 129b para. 1 sentences 1 and 2 of the German Criminal Code). Accordingly, Amer A. is suspected of being the ringleader (section 129a para. 4 var. 1 of the German Criminal Code). Furthermore, he is strongly suspected of the commission of war crimes by means of forced displacement (section 8 para. 1 no. 6 of the German Code of Crimes against International Law) and membership of the foreign terrorist organisation 'Islamic State' (IS).
In essence, the arrest warrant against the suspects sets out the following criminal charges:
1) In February 2013, Amer A. founded the organisation 'Liwa Jund
al Rahman' ('Brigade of the Soldiers of the Merciful God') in
the Syrian province of Deir ez Zor and went on to act as its
leader. 'Liwa Jund al Rahman' is an armed rebel group with the
objective to overthrow the Syrian regime by force. While the
group initially avowed itself to the Free Syrian Army, it was,
in fact, pursuing an Islamist agenda. At the time of its
foundation, 'Liwa Jund al Rahman' already boasted a low three
digit number of fighters which did, however, increase
significantly over time due to the accession of other armed
groups. In the context of the civil war in Syria, the
organisation repeatedly engaged in hostilities against the
Syrian army since no later than April 2013.In June 2013, the village of Hatlah near Deir ez Zor was attacked jointly by 'Liwa Jund al Rahman' under the command of Amer A., Jabhat al Nusra and other jihadist groups. This so called 'cleansing' operation was aimed at the local Shia population. Up to 60 Shia inhabitants were subsequently killed while the survivors were forced to flee to other areas in Syria or abroad by intentionally stoking fears of death - also by means of arson and looting. This forced displacement meant the end of all Shia presence in Hatlah.
In early July 2014, Amer A. joined IS and placed 'Liwa Jund al Rahman' including all of its fighters, equipment and financial resources under IS' authority. When IS captured Al Mayadin and took military action against the Al Shu'aytat tribe in the region of Deir ez Zor in late July / early August 2014, the suspect commanded the fighters of his former organisation.
2) Basel O. assumed a prominent military position within 'Liwa
Jund al Rahman' since no later than late 2013. In December 2013
and April 2014, he commanded combat units of the organisation
in battles with Syrian forces, especially at Deir ez Zor's
military airfield.Yesterday, the suspects were brought before the investigating judge at the Federal Court of Justice who read out the arrest warrants and ordered that they be placed in pre-trial detention.
Rückfragen bitte an:
Der Generalbundesanwalt beim Bundesgerichtshof (GBA)
Dr. Ines Peterson
Staatsanwältin beim BGH
Brauerstr. 30
76135 Karlsruhe
Telefon: 0721 8191-4100
Fax: 0721 8191-8492
E-Mail: presse@generalbundesanwalt.de
http://www.generalbundesanwalt.de/
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