Former Syrian general Khaled al-Halabi pleads not guilty to torture charges in Austrian trial

Jun 1, 2026

Former Syrian general Khaled al-Halabi has pleaded not guilty to torture charges in a Vienna trial. He and an ex-police officer are accused of abusing 21 opponents of the Assad regime in Raqa between 2011-2013. The trial, held under universal jurisdiction laws, highlights a European trend of prosecuting Syrian war crimes and involves a backstory of an alleged Mossad operation to bring al-Halabi to Austria.

Vienna trial Syrian officials

▪The Vienna court has jurisdiction because both defendants applied for asylum in Austria in 2015 and reside there.
▪Former Syrian Brigadier General Khaled al-Halabi and former police Lieutenant Colonel Musab Abu Rukbah went on trial in Vienna on June 1, 2026.
▪Khaled al-Halabi, 63, pleaded not guilty to charges of torture and other abuses.

Raqa torture allegations 2011-2013

▪Al-Halabi denied torture occurred under his command, telling the court his unit only took down personal details of detainees.
▪Prosecutors allege the two ordered or failed to prevent the mistreatment of 21 individuals detained during a crackdown on a civilian protest movement.
▪Al-Halabi is charged with torture, aggravated coercion, sexual coercion, and serious bodily harm, facing up to 10 years in prison.
▪The defendants are accused of torturing opponents of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Raqa, Syria, between April 2011 and March 2013.

Universal jurisdiction legal framework

▪Syrian lawyer Anwar al-Bunni called the trial "important" but questioned why al-Halabi was not charged with crimes against humanity.
▪Austrian law allows local courts jurisdiction over certain offenses committed abroad, and prosecutors cited international treaties like the UN Convention Against Torture.

Mossad intelligence operation Austria

▪The alleged Mossad operation, codenamed "White Milk," was reportedly overseen by Martin Weiss, then head of Austria's BVT intelligence service.
▪Senior Austrian officials suspected of helping al-Halabi obtain protection through an agreement with Israel's Mossad were acquitted in 2023.

European war crimes prosecutions

▪A lawyer for 18 victims, Tatiana Urdaneta Wittek, warned that Austria must not become a refuge for war criminals.
▪The trial is part of a series of similar cases in European countries like Germany, France, and Sweden prosecuting crimes from the Syrian civil war.
▪The Commission for International Justice and Accountability (CIJA) informed Vienna of al-Halabi's alleged crimes in 2016.
▪At the time of his indictment, activists considered al-Halabi the highest-ranking Syrian official in Europe responsible for abuses.