French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Damascus for a visit aimed at fostering stability and peace, marking the first trip by a Western European leader since Syria's new authorities took power. Macron expressed France's commitment to a sovereign, united Syria and discussed reconstruction efforts with President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
An Austrian court has convicted two former Syrian officials for torturing opponents of Bashar Assad's regime. Khaled al-Halabi received an eight-year sentence for torture, aggravated bodily harm, and sexual assault, while Musab Abu Rukbah was convicted on similar charges. Both men had fled to Austria in 2015.
Syria's Justice Ministry announced the launch of public trials next week for ousted Assad regime officials, beginning with cases from Daraa where protests began in 2011. Trials will include Assad's cousins Atif Najib and Wassim al-Assad, and former military intelligence major Amjad Youssef, accused of killings that sparked the 13-year civil war resulting in over 500,000 deaths.
