The Media Line: Arrest of Syrian in Berlin Signals Europe’s Willingness To Bring Assad-Linked ‘Refugees’ to Justice

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Arrest of Syrian in Berlin Signals Europe’s Willingness To Bring Assad-Linked ‘Refugees’ to Justice

Sultan, who came to Germany about five years ago, presented himself to authorities as a refugee but continued his involvement in illegal activities and criminal networks

By Rizik Alabi/The Media Line

[Damascus] German authorities arrested Anwar Sultan in Berlin’s so-called “Arab Street” district on the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, He is accused of committing murder, torture and illegally detaining civilians during the years-long uprising in the Syrian city of Aleppo.

The charges fall under the framework of crimes against humanity, according to Syrian-German lawyer and human rights defender Anwar al-Bunni, who spoke exclusively to The Media Line.

Al-Bunni, who resides in Germany and has pursued Syrian war criminals living there, told The Media Line: “After a long effort lasting five years, and after victims’ long wait for justice, Berlin police this morning arrested Anwar Sultan, accused of participating in crimes against humanity.”

He said that Sultan was linked to cases of torture and forced disappearances. According to the allegations, Sultan arrested peaceful demonstrators, beat them and handed them over to Syrian security forces. He was also seen in a video attacking protesters inside Aleppo’s Amna Mosque.

Several victims who suffered beatings and arrest at his hands later identified him, fully aware of the risk that they would disappear, be tortured and killed if they cooperated with authorities.

Syrians in Germany who monitored his arrival in Berlin said that Sultan continued his activities under the guise of business ventures.

Syrian activist Mufida Ankir, who lives in Germany, told The Media Line that his activities included channeling funds for the former Syrian regime’s crimes through the informal money-transfer system (hawala) in Berlin. This case is regarded as the first to target someone who actively assisted the regime in carrying out its crimes.

For his part, al-Bunni told The Media Line: “Congratulations to the victims and witnesses after such a long wait. Immense thanks to the Syrian Archive organization. No peace without justice, no impunity, and no safe haven for criminals.”

Sultan, who arrived in Germany about five years ago as a refugee, was not merely a civilian fleeing war, as he tried to convince authorities. Testimonies and documents indicate that he was one of the most notorious members of the pro-regime Shabiha militia, which was directly linked to the Military Security Directorate in Aleppo and involved in its activities since the early months of the Syrian uprising.

Media reports and survivor testimonies revealed that Sultan, along with his brother and relatives, formed an armed group working for the now-toppled Syrian regime. The group suppressed peaceful protests, arrested activists, tortured them and was responsible for killing dozens —possibly hundreds — of Aleppo residents.

One piece of evidence dates back to July 22, 2011, during demonstrations dubbed “Friday of the Descendants of Khalid ibn al-Walid.” A video later posted on YouTube showed Sultan beating a protester with a stick inside Amna bint Wahb Mosque in Aleppo’s Sayf al-Dawla neighborhood. The footage also showed his father, Muhammad Akram Sultan, and another relative, Osama Tahan, participating in the violent attack.

After his arrival in Germany, Sultan allegedly continued illicit activities, including underground money transfer operations, according to testimonies of several Syrian refugees in Berlin.

Eyewitnesses told The Media Line that he lived extravagantly, often seen in nightclubs with his brother, “Abdo,” and local gang members. They said he was a regular at Infinity Café on Arab Street, a venue owned by a close associate.

One victim said he was detained and tortured by Sultan in Aleppo in 2011 before being handed over to military security. The victim later began cooperating with a European human rights organization to pursue Sultan legally — a process that appears to have led to today’s arrest.

Before the uprising, Sultan, born in Aleppo, worked in currency trading and contraband with his father and brother in the city’s old markets. When the uprising began, Sultan assisted in the repressive tactics of the Syrian regime.

His arrest in Berlin opens the door to a new trial within a series of European prosecutions targeting Syrian war criminals who fled to the continent. It could mark another step in the long-delayed pursuit of justice for Syria’s victims.

Since the outbreak of conflict in Syria, large numbers of individuals implicated in war crimes and crimes against humanity have fled to Europe. Several countries have launched investigations and secured convictions in high-profile cases, while many suspects remain at large.

Germany has taken the lead in Europe in prosecuting cases of torture and state crimes in Syria, including landmark trials in Koblenz that dealt with the torture of Syrian detainees.

France, the Netherlands and other European countries have also opened investigations and issued full or partial rulings against accused individuals.

Meanwhile, human rights organizations have intensified efforts to gather evidence and present it to European prosecutors. Groups such as the Syrian Archive and the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights have played a central role in documenting violations and submitting case files under the principle of universal jurisdiction.

However, justice remains fragmented and relatively slow. Records from specialized organizations indicate that hundreds of related cases are currently being processed in courts across Europe, with many suspects still at large and continuing to live freely on the continent.

The arrest of Anwar Sultan is viewed as a significant step toward achieving cross-border accountability. Yet it also shows that the path to bringing all perpetrators to justice remains long, as victims and civil society groups continue to urge faster investigations and demand that no safe haven be left for criminals.