A Syrian man accused of crimes against humanity denied dozens of charges of torture and sexual violence in the opening of his trial in the Netherlands on Wednesday.
The 58-year-old, identified only as Rafiq al Q. due to Dutch privacy regulations, claimed he was being conspired against and refuted accusations of being a supporter of former Syrian Presdient Bashar Assad. Prosecutors at the District Court of The Hague said he was a member of the pro-Assad National Defence Force and worked as the lead interrogator for the paramilitary group during Syria's civil war.
