Syrian man in Netherlands convicted of war crimes for soldier's execution

A court sentenced Ahmad al Khedr to 20 years in prison for his role in the 2012 execution of a regime soldier, which was captured on film.
Al-Nusra Front billboard near Aleppo
An empty section of the highway connecting the northern Syrian city of Aleppo with the capital, Damascus, is seen Feb. 15, 2020, in an area formerly held by rebel fighters about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Aleppo, with an old Al-Nusra Front billboard on the side of the road. The sign shows the group's former flag in Arabic beneath the Islamic Shahada (creed stating a belief in one god and the acceptance that Muhammad was God's prophet). - AFP via Getty Images
Al Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Al-Monitor Staff

A court in the Netherlands on Friday sentenced a Syrian man to 20 years in prison over the execution of a captured government soldier during the country’s civil war. Judges said the 49-year-old defendant, Ahmad al Khedr, was guilty of war crimes. 

The primary evidence in the case was 2012 video footage that shows the execution of a lieutenant colonel in the Syrian air force. In addition to the video footage, a number of witnesses were tracked down across several countries and interviewed. 

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