Everything's connected.

This week, I'm focusing on three big news stories that show how global and very-connected our challenges and solutions are. Like

• The historic trial of Syria's Anwar R in Germany
• Migrant workers in Lebanon want to go home to Kenya
• Hundreds of migrants from Honduras march towards United States

what happened last week

We sought justice for at least 27 people who were murdered in Syria some ten years ago -- and the trial took place in Germany

Refresher:
A lot of crimes have been committed since the beginning of the so-called Arab Spring; a lot of them have been committed by the Syrian government and President Bashar al-Assad. Ever since, those who suffered and managed to escape are (still) seeking justice in courts all around the world, especially Germany, Austria, Sweden and Norway.

A court in Koblenz, Germany convicted a man of murder and torture which he committed in Syria some 10 years ago. He was sentenced to life in prison.

Why this matters:
This was the first time Syrian victims had the chance to face in court someone from the Assad government who had committed crimes against them. (Mostly) thanks to Syrian survivors, lawyers and activists, victims spoke in court as witnesses, 'this is a milestone but still just one step on the road to full accountability.'

Tell me more about this man:
Anwar R is 58 years old. Ten years ago, around 2011/12, he was head of investigations in the Branch 251 of Syria's General Intelligence Directorate; a prison famously known as Al-Khatib, one of the cruelest in the country. Anwar R. is convicted on a lot of horrible charges as the court believed and proved that he is responsible for the murder of (at least) 27 people as the result of his position of authority. During his time at Branch 251, at least 4,000 people were imprisoned. A lot them were tortured and sexually assaulted. Anwar R's lawyers say, (I rephrase) 'he defected from the regime in 2012; never approved torture, even punished soldiers for abusing prisoners. Plus: An employee of a criminal regime cannot just pick up the phone and yell injustice!.

But he has a Syrian passport and committed those crimes in Syria. How can he be convicted in Germany?
Let me introduce you to the very fancy principle of 'universal jurisdiction,' which is (my favorite) part of German law. Other countries, like Sweden, have similar (they call them) expansive laws. 'Universal jurisdiction' basically allows for the prosecution of really, really, really, really horrible crimes such as genocide or war crimes in other countries. I say basically because, in practice, things work a bit differently as it is up to prosecutors whether to open a case or not. Some cases do get shut down when it is not in Germany's interest.

• For example: When four Iraqis wanted to open a case against the former defense secretary of the United States, Donald H. Rumsfeld (and others) because of what the U.S. military did/allowed to happen at Guantánamo Bay and the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, it was quickly dismissed. But trials of former Islamic State militants for genocide or the Syrian government for torture are low-risk politically.

Did you know that the German legal system is more and more becoming a place to seek justice for crimes committed far outside Germany's border? According to a 2020 report, more than twelve active cases related to crimes committed in Syria are taking place in Germany.

What about the International Criminal Court?
The International Criminal Court, short ICC, is (ironically) more limited in its scope. It can prosecute crimes only in countries that have said 'yes' to its jurisdiction, unless the U.N. Security Council insists that some people have to be prosecuted, or in the case of Syria, should not (back then, in 2014, Russia and China were like, 'na, let's not get into this'). Not every country in the world is part of the ICC. For example, the United States, Israel, Syria and Saudi Arabia are not. This is why it's good we have other systems, like the principle of 'universal jurisdiction', in place.

How did this trial came to be in the first place?
Oh, it was luck! Seven years ago, a Syrian human rights lawyer Anwar al-Bunni recognized Anwar R at his refugee center in Berlin. At first, he could not figure out how he knew him. It was only after another refugee told him that a regime official was in the facility that it all fell into place. In court, Bunni recounted how Anwar R was the man who had detained him outside his house in the Kafr Souseh neighborhood of Damascus in 2006, after which he spent five years in prison. After recognizing him in Berlin, Bunni filed a complaint with police, and Anwar R was eventually arrested in 2019. cough this is a movie script cough

How's the situation in Syria now?
Syrian activists living in Germany and abroad are like, 'this is great and...