German Kurdish group accuses Syria's Sharaa of Yazidi genocide

BERLIN,— A Kurdish group in Germany has filed a criminal complaint accusing self-proclaimed Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa of committing genocide against Yazidis, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, German prosecutors confirmed Monday.

The Kurdish Community of Germany (KGD) said it submitted the complaint last week to the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office in Karlsruhe.

The group alleges that al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, played a leading role in atrocities committed against Kurdish Yazidis and other minorities in Syria and Iraq.

“Al-Golani shares direct responsibility for the genocide of Yazidi Kurds in 2014 and for the ongoing, systematic violence targeting ethnic and religious minorities,” said Mehmet Tanriverdi, KGD’s deputy chairman, in a statement.

He added that Germany’s principle of universal jurisdiction allows prosecutors to pursue such crimes regardless of where they occurred.

Al-Sharaa rose to power after his rebel coalition overthrew longtime Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad late last year.

Al-Sharaa has a record steeped in “terrorism”. He emerged from the ranks of al-Qaida and ISIS, later creating the al-Nusra Front, the Syrian branch of al-Qaida that terrorized civilians and carried out brutal attacks across the region, according to monitor groups.

Under his command, the group rebranded itself as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), but Western intelligence agencies and rights monitors say its ideology and tactics remain largely unchanged.

Despite his recent attempts to recast himself as a political leader, al-Sharaa’s legacy is defined by extremism, bloodshed, and years spent advancing jihadist violence under different names.

Although HTS was removed from the U

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, or better known as Abu Mohammad al-Golani (sitting) with ISIS flag on the wall. Photo: X

.S. list of terrorist organizations in July, al-Sharaa has attempted to distance himself from his extremist background and present a more moderate image since assuming the presidency.

He met U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday in what officials described as part of efforts to rebuild diplomatic ties after years of conflict.

The Kurdish Community of Germany has criticized what it sees as growing political acceptance of al-Sharaa in Western countries.

The group also condemned German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s decision to invite the Syrian leader for talks on the possible repatriation of Syrian nationals currently living in Germany.

“The idea of hosting a suspected war criminal on German soil raises grave concerns,” the organization said.

The Yazidis, a Kurdish-speaking religious minority rooted in northwest Iraq, suffered one of the worst massacres of the Islamic State’s campaign in August 2014.

The United Nations has classified the attacks as genocide, citing the mass killing of men and the abduction, rape, and enslavement of thousands of Yazidi women and girls.

(With files from AFP | Agencies)