Assad-loyal militiaman residing in Sweden – identified by witnesses for murder and kidnapping
The P1 programme Kaliber has identified 15 former militiamen with residency permits in Sweden. A man from Yarmouk is identified as a militia leader suspected of kidnapping.
Former Syrian militiamen loyal to Assad living in Sweden – witnesses identify leader from Yarmouk
At least 15 former militiamen and soldiers loyal to Syria's former dictator Bashar al-Assad have been granted residency permits in Sweden. This is reported by SVT Nyheter with reference to the P1 programme Kaliber, which identified the men following witness accounts from both Sweden and Damascus.
Witnesses tell Kaliber that they lived in fear of the militias, which allegedly murdered and raped civilians in the heavily bombed Yarmouk neighbourhood in southern Damascus. One man is identified as particularly dangerous – he is described as a militia leader and is suspected of kidnapping and extortion against relatives.
One of the witnesses recounts how he was arrested together with two friends. He was released after his family paid a ransom. His friends have never been seen again.
The man in question came to Sweden during the refugee wave of 2015 and is now residing in a small Swedish town. On social media he is seen partying on a beach. In Sweden, he has participated in integration projects, worked at a fast-food restaurant, and been convicted of biting a police officer during a detention. Kaliber states it has several photographs of him in uniform and armed. The man declines an interview but writes in a message that the allegations are false.
Recently, Solna district court convicted another former militiaman from Yarmouk to life imprisonment for serious crimes against international law. War crimes prosecutor Reena Devgun emphasises that the crimes are difficult to investigate because they were committed abroad and many witnesses remain in Syria.
Kaliber's series "The Dictator's Swedish Warriors" is available in the Sveriges Radio app.
Source: SVT Nyheter