German prosecutors have charged two Syrian men with war crimes committed in Damascus as part of the Islamic State group a decade ago. The suspects, identified as Mohammad A. and Asmael K., are accused of being members of a foreign terrorist organization and hostage-taking resulting in death. Authorities revealed that they allegedly committed these crimes around 2013, with Mohammad A. founding an armed unit in Damascus that planted bombs at state offices and Asmael K. being accused of killing people protected under international humanitarian law and guarding prisoners who were later executed.

Currently, the two men are in German custody, and a court in the city of Dusseldorf will decide whether they will face trial. This case is just one of several involving Syrians arrested in Germany over crimes committed in their home country, showcasing the country's use of universal jurisdiction to prosecute serious crimes regardless of where they took place. This successful effort has already led to the conviction of a former Syrian colonel for crimes against humanity committed in Damascus in January 2022.