In a groundbreaking development in the pursuit of justice for atrocities committed during the Syrian civil war, a former Syrian brigadier general, Mohammed Hamo, is set to stand trial in Stockholm on Monday for his alleged involvement in war crimes linked to Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Hamo, aged 65, faces charges of "aiding and abetting" war crimes during the Syrian civil war, with accusations centering on his purported provision of "action and advice" to the Syrian army. The trial, scheduled to extend until May, carries the potential for a life sentence for the former general. The charges against him pertain to the period from January 1 to July 20, 2012.

This trial marks a significant milestone as Hamo becomes the highest-ranking Syrian military official to face trial in Europe over alleged war crimes. It follows earlier landmark cases in European courts targeting individuals connected to Assad's regime for their roles in human rights abuses during the conflict.

In January 2022, a German court convicted a Syrian secret intelligence officer for offenses including torture, sexual violence, and multiple murders at Damascus' infamous Branch 251 prison, sentencing him to life imprisonment. Similarly, in 2021, the same court found a former member of Syria’s secret police guilty of accessory to crimes against humanity, resulting in a prison term of four and a half years.

The pursuit of justice for crimes committed during the Syrian civil war has gained momentum on the international stage. In a significant ruling last November, the UN's top court ordered the Syrian regime to cease its torture campaign and preserve all evidence related to acts of torture, marking the court's first legal proceeding concerning the conflict.

The Syrian civil war erupted in March 2011 when Syrians launched protests against President Bashar al-Assad's regime, triggering a protracted conflict that has exacted a devastating toll on the population. Hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost, and millions more have been left in urgent need of humanitarian aid. According to UN data, over 13 million Syrians, equivalent to half of the country's prewar population, have been displaced, with over six million seeking refuge outside Syria's borders.

As Mohammed Hamo's trial unfolds in Stockholm, it represents another step forward in the global pursuit of accountability for the egregious crimes committed amid the Syrian civil war, offering hope for justice to the conflict's countless victims.