The trial against the man, who is a native of Värmland, has received a great deal of international attention. It is the highest-ranking military man brought to justice for war crimes linked to the war in Syria.
The man served as a brigadier general in, among other places, Homs in western Syria. He was accused of contributing to the “indiscriminate warfare” carried out by the Syrian army against the cities of Homs and Hama in 2012 in which thousands of civilians were killed and injured.
The Stockholm district court writes in a press release that the main questions concern whether the 11th division of the Syrian army participated in the attacks and whether the man participated in arming the division.
“According to the district court, there is no evidence that clarifies these questions,” writes the district court.
Many Syrians on the run as a result of the war
Homs was the epicenter of the initially peaceful protests against the dictatorship in Syria during the Arab Spring, says SVT’s foreign reporter Stina Blomgren
The protracted conflict has led to many Syrians being on the run around the world – in Sweden alone there are close to 200,000 Syrians.
– For many Syrians living in exile today, this is the only type of justice that is within reach, even if it is a rather meager justice given what happened, says Stina Blomgren.
The plaintiff’s counsel tells SVT Nyheter that he will review the verdict and speak to the eight plaintiffs who participated in the legal process.
– After that, a decision will be made if they choose to appeal the verdict, says Stina Blomgren.
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Hear SVT’s foreign reporter: That’s why the trial is being noticed by international media. Photo: SVT