How the highest-ranking Syrian regime suspect tracked by CIJA evaded arrest
In late 2015, CIJA located Brigadier General Khaled Al-Halabi, a former high ranking Syrian regime officer suspected of crimes against humanity, in Vienna. In January 2016, CIJA informed Austrian authorities that the suspect – the highest-ranking Syrian regime official known to be in Europe – was on their territory.
Al-Halabi was the Head of General Intelligence Branch 335 in Raqqa from at least 2009 until 02 March 2013, two days prior to the fall of Raqqa to Syrian opposition forces. Together, the extant evidence held by the CIJA demonstrates that Al-Halabi exercised de jure and de facto control over all aspects of the functioning of Branch 335. The evidence illustrates that egregious crimes against humanity, including murder and torture, along with sexual offences, were perpetrated in Branch 335 by subordinates of Al-Halabi, with his knowledge.
The likely presence of Al-Halabi in Austria was discovered by CIJA’s investigators and then verified and narrowed down to an address in Vienna in late 2015 by a nascent unit of cyber and tracking analysts. Concurrently, a legal brief outlining Al-Halabi’s individual criminal responsibility for a range of crimes against humanity committed under his control and with his full knowledge was created by analysts and legal advisers. The legal brief rests on Syrian regime documentation and witness statements, many of which came from insider witnesses.
In January 2016, the CIJA established contact with Austria’s Federal Ministry of Justice (MoJ) indicating that it had information on a high-ranking, suspected Syrian regime perpetrator of core international crimes, who was present on Austrian territory. CIJA representatives met with the MoJ on 29 January 2016, with a number of follow-up meetings taking place later that year. The complete Al-Halabi dossier was shared with Austrian authorities.
CIJA was able to build its dossier on Al-Halabi using its unprecedented evidence holdings and rigorous analytical understanding of the perpetrating structures of the Syrian Regime, as well as Islamic State. It uses this information and analytical capacity to support numerous investigations and cases in Europe. This includes assisting over 30 law enforcement agencies from 13 countries: since 2016 CIJA has received in excess of 550 Requests for Assistance, concerning nearly 2,000 Syrian regime and Islamic State suspects – many of them present in Schengen Zone States. It has also provided evidence and testimony used in court cases that have resulted in convictions of the accused.
CIJA regards the evidence against Al-Halabi as being particularly damning. Moreover he is, most certainly, the highest-ranking and most culpable (in terms of alleged criminality) suspect who remains at large in the West.
CIJA does not normally comment on cases under investigation nor does it seek to publicise its role until charges are raised or arrests made. The Al-Halabi case is different. Since 2018, third parties have leaked the existence of and details about the investigation to Austrian press, while extensive nationwide and international coverage appeared in November 2020.
Reporting by The Daily Telegraph explores some of the potential reasons for a lack of definitive action by Austrian authorities over the past five years. For further detail, see here or here.