The Dutch authorities have appealed to Syrians with information about the execution of members of the Hajar al-Aswad Brigade in southern Damascus in 2014 by the Islamic State to come forward. This call for information is linked to the potential involvement of a leader of the organization, known as Abu Khaled al-Amani, who is currently detained in the Netherlands.
Amani, a 37-year-old former security officer of ISIS, was arrested in January 2023 in the town of Arkel by the Dutch police’s International Crimes Team (TIM) following leads about his activities in Syria. The Syrian refugee is accused of occupying a senior role within the IS security apparatus between 2013 and 2018 in the southern parts of Damascus. During his tenure, IS is alleged to have committed numerous crimes, including torture and execution.
During his interrogation, videos of executions carried out by IS in 2014 in Syria were obtained from Amani. The Dutch television program AVROTROS Opsporing Verzocht aired photos of two men who were interrogated by IS prior to their execution. These men were reportedly members of the Black Stone Brigade, a group from which at least a dozen fighters, including the two depicted, were executed by ISIS in mid-January 2014. The executions occurred at a power station in the Yalda area, south of Damascus, and images of the two men, post-execution, among other victims, were shown.
The Dutch International Crimes Team is seeking witnesses who were in Syria at the time and might have seen the victims in an ISIS prison. It was revealed that before joining ISIS, Amani had been in a leading security position with Jabhat al-Nusra for two years. He is alleged to have held significant roles in both organizations in the vicinity of the Yarmouk refugee camp, south of Damascus. ISIS’ security apparatus, with which Abu Khaled was associated, was tasked with various duties including the arrest of suspected dissidents. The police now believe that Abu Khaled may have played a role in the arrest of these dissidents.
Appeal for information
Dutch authorities have issued a call to witnesses who may have information about a crime involving the execution of members of the Hajar al-Aswad Brigade by ISIS in southern Damascus in 2014. They are specifically seeking individuals who either experienced being held in an ISIS prison or witnessed who was involved in the execution process.
Witnesses are encouraged to come forward and share their insights with the International Crimes Team, utilizing police contact options available in the Netherlands.
In the previous year, Amani was presented before a court in Rotterdam, where Dutch media coverage noted his plea to be reunited with his family. Despite this appeal, the judge decided to keep him detained in the “terrorist wing” of Vught prison.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
