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Hunting Syria's war criminals

Imagine walking down a street in a European capital and meeting your torturer. For some Syrian refugees who have fled the civil war there, that is exactly what's been happening.

Imagine walking down a street in a European capital and meeting your torturer. For many Syrian refugees fleeing war and human rights abuses, Europe was meant to be a sanctuary. So it was a shock when people began bumping into their torturers out shopping or in a cafe. In fact many of those involved in the Syrian government鈥檚 notorious interrogation facilities are hiding in plain sight in European cities having used the refugee wave as a 鈥渞atline鈥 out of the country. More and more are now being investigated, arrested and put on trial in European courts. But with President Assad firmly in control in Syria the long arm of the state is reaching those willing to testify. For Assignment, Chloe Hadjimatheou and Michael Ertl look at how the Syrian war is continuing to play out in Europe.

Presented and produced by Chloe Hadjimatheou and Michael Ertl
Editor: Bridget Harney

(Image: A woman shows a picture of her Syrian relatives outside the Higher Regional Court in Koblenz, Germany, 13 January 2022. Credit: Sascha Steinbach/EPA)

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27 minutes

Last on

Sun 23 Jan 2022 12:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Thu 20 Jan 2022 02:32GMT
  • Thu 20 Jan 2022 09:06GMT
  • Thu 20 Jan 2022 13:32GMT
  • Thu 20 Jan 2022 20:06GMT
  • Thu 20 Jan 2022 21:06GMT
  • Sun 23 Jan 2022 12:32GMT

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