A former Syrian air force intelligence officer appeared in a British court on Tuesday, accused of crimes against humanity and acts of torture related to the crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Damascus in 2011.
Salem Michel Al-Salem, 58, who now resides in the United Kingdom, participated in the hearing via video conference from his home during an appearance at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London.
The man is accused of three counts of murder constituting crimes against humanity, related to deaths that occurred between April and July 2011. According to the prosecution, these events took place as part of a "widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population" during the crackdown on the uprising in Syria.
He is also being prosecuted on three counts of torture relating to incidents that occurred between 2011 and 2012, as well as for complicity in murder classified as a crime against humanity.
During the hearing, Al-Salem wore a respirator mask. The court was informed that he suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a serious neurodegenerative disease. His lawyer, Sean Caulfield, indicated that his condition prevented him from even confirming his identity aloud in court.
The former officer did not speak during the hearing and it is not yet known how he intends to plead his case against the accusations made against him.
