Swedish citizen indicted for serious war crimes and terrorist crimes in Syria

According to the indictment, the suspect went to Syria in September 2014 to fight for the Islamic State (IS). On 24 December, a fighter jet belonging to the Royal Jordanian Air Force, went down in Syria. The pilot was captured by IS the same day near Raqqa, Syria.

The investigation has shown that the man, armed and masked, together with others forced the pilot into a metal cage. The cage was subsequently set on fire by one of the co-perpetrators. The pilot could not escape or seek help and he died as a consequence of the fire.

The criminal act was filmed and the video has been widely distributed. According to the prosecutors, the distribution has been part of the warfare of the Islamic State and has been linked to the armed conflict. 

“This is a fundamentally important case. It is the first time that a person has been brought to justice for one of IS’ most brutal and ruthless murders. The gravity and harm of this criminal act is reflected in the fact that the defendant now is prosecuted for two of the crimes that internationally are regarded to be the most serious”, says Senior Public Prosecutor at the National Unit against Organised Crime, Reena Devgun.  

The 32-year-old man is imprisoned in France for other offences and is now in Sweden to attend the trial before continuing to serve his sentence in France. 

“Today's prosecution is a result of extensive co-operation both between different authorities in Sweden and with several international partners, mainly France, Belgium and the United States. The success of this type of complex investigation requires cooperation, which also includes international organisations such as Eurojust, Europol and UN agencies”, says Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor at the National Security Unit, Henrik Olin. 

The case number in Stockholm District Court: B 3980-24.

The trial will start 4 June 2025 in Stockholm District Court.  

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