The trial of three current and former senior Syrian security officials on war crimes charges begins in France on Tuesday.
Syrian Air Force intelligence suspects these individuals were involved in the arrest and disappearance of Mazen Dabberg and his son Patrick in November 2013, near the outbreak of civil war. Mr Mazan and Mr Patrick later died in custody.
Faced with widespread public outcry and calls for his resignation, energized by the regional fervor of the Arab Spring, the regime of Bashar al-Assad, who had led Syria for years, has since launched a violent crackdown, turning the country into a sectarian This led to conflict and a civil war that continues today.
Russian military intervention on behalf of the government allowed the Assad regime to maintain power in Damascus. Both Syria and Russia deny international allegations of mass killings of civilians and other war crimes during the conflict.
The case, scheduled to last four days under the jurisdiction of France's criminal court (Cour d'Assise), will be the first time a senior Assad regime official faces a jury for war crimes.
The trial of the three defendants will take place without their physical presence.
One of the defendants, Ali Mamluk, continues to serve as a senior security adviser to the Syrian president.
