France tries Syrian Islamist rebel ex-spokesman on war crime charges

Majdi Nema, a former spokesman for the Syrian Islamist rebel group Jaish al-Islam, is set to go on trial in France under universal jurisdiction for alleged complicity in war crimes during Syria’s civil war. Arrested in Marseille in 2020 after arriving on a student exchange program, Nema faces charges for his role from 2013 to 2016, including accusations of recruiting children for combat. This landmark case, initiated by rights groups, marks the first trial in France regarding crimes from the Syrian conflict, highlighting the complexity of the war beyond regime actions.