UN hails landmark conviction of senior Syrian official

By CHRISTOPH NOELTING and FRANK JORDANS
Associated Press

KOBLENZ, Germany (AP) — A former Syrian secret police officer was convicted by a German court Thursday of crimes against humanity for overseeing the abuse of detainees at a jail near Damascus a decade ago.  The top United Nations human rights official described the ruling as “historic.” Anwar Raslan is the highest-ranking Syrian official so far convicted of crimes against humanity. The Koblenz state court concluded that the defendant was in charge of interrogations at a facility known Branch 251, where suspected opposition protesters were detained. The court sentenced the 58-year-old to life in prison. Raslan’s lawyers had sought his acquittal, claiming he never personally tortured anybody and that he defected in late 2012.