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In a recent development, the Federal Prosecutor General at the German Federal Court has brought charges against three Syrians, accusing them of affiliation with Al-Tawhid Brigade, one of the major factions of the Free Syrian Army, deemed a “foreign terrorist organization.” This indictment was presented before the State Security Council in the Supreme Court in Berlin on December 28, 2023.
The Prosecutor General stated that there is reasonable suspicion that the three Syrian individuals were members of the foreign terrorist organization, Al-Tawhid Brigade, which operated in Aleppo province between 2012 and 2014. The accused individuals are still at large. The charges include:
- Mohammad R, who led a battalion within Al-Tawhid Brigade, involved in capturing and holding an area in Aleppo for an extended period.
- Anas K.W., who served as a spokesperson and correspondent for the militia.
- Yusuf K., a regular companion to Anas K.W., participating in conflict zones, producing reports and multimedia content for propaganda purposes.
The Al-Tawhid Brigade, an armed Islamist group, operated in Aleppo province with up to 10,000 fighters between 2012 and 2014. Its goal was to fight against Bashar al-Assad’s regime and establish a religious state based on Islamic law, collaborating with other foreign terrorist organizations in the region, including Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham.
The German legal case is notable, as it involves prosecuting armed elements in militias not categorized by Germany as terrorist organizations. The German judiciary relies on a legal provision that considers supporting a “terrorist” organization, even if just once, as a criminal offense.
It’s worth noting the historical context of Al-Tawhid’s relationship with Jabhat al-Nusra and subsequent mergers and realignments within various factions, leading to the formation of groups like the Al-Jabha Al-Shamiya.
