At the same time as receiving a mass influx of refugees fleeing war, Germany is investigating war crimes in Syria.
The work has been driven by the number of witnesses and survivors entering Germany as well as the number of suspects, some of whom appear to be German nationals.
"Ten investigations linked to Syria or Iraq are currently being examined by the federal prosecutor, in addition to more than 30 cases against former jihadists over their membership in a terrorist group," said a spokesman for the prosecutor's office.
Approximately 40% of migrants arriving in Germany originated in Syria or Iraq. As part of the application process, arrivals are obliged to complete a form which asks if they have witnessed war crimes or could name those responsible or involved.
Prosecutors are being kept informed of the information gained which they believe may eventually lead to a broader picture of war crimes and possible prosecutions of those culpable.
Similar efforts are being carried out in the Netherlands, France, Sweden and Finland.
More than 20 years ago, Germany was also receiving waves of refugees from the war in Yugoslavia. It set up special police unit to investigate war crimes in that bitter conflict and other European countries followed suit. The effort resulted in four trials, including a conviction for genocide.
German investigators also went to the Democratic Republic of Congo to collect evidence on massacres. This resulted in the convictions of two Rwandan rebel leaders for mastermind the atrocities from their homes in Germany.
But gathering evidence is always a long, slow process and, with little sign of the turmoil abating, investigators are unable to travel to Syria and will have for the present to rely on witness statements.
Comments
We have the authority to prosecute only European citizens for behaviour in the Middle East.
Already the total prat shown on Portuguese Facebook throwing a dog off a bridge has rightfully got hundreds of thousands of 'Well, what did you expect comments' from across the planet ... and is now being 'investigated' by a Portuguese animal charity.
https://www.facebook.com/Algarve-daily-news-229094890474174/
Read through some of total gibberish the Portuguese Government Ministers come out with today without any referencing to their neurosis about African colonies and Pink Mapping. It entirely skews, in the developed world, commonsense reporting !
Fizzing in the current Portuguese press is about the McCann alleged abandonment of the McCann children to have a meal 50 meters away in what they had been told, and had bought their holiday on the strength of, was a secure compound. This minister claiming that it was an Anglo Saxon tradition to abandon children!
The McCanns entirely unaware that it was a Portuguese tradition for the PJ / GR not to investigate repeated previous thefts from ex-rental apartments (including the ones the McCanns used and usually involving foreigners) in that Algarvian apartment block. In case it affected tourism bookings.
The British Police now assuming that a routine theft had gone wrong and Maddie woke up. But, to what fate? Let all right thinking people, in the developed world, hope for the best!