The trial of former Syrian rebel Majdi Nema commenced on April 29, 2025, in Paris, where he faces serious charges of complicity in war crimes committed during the Syrian civil war from 2013 to 2016.

Nema, who served as a spokesman for the Islamist rebel group Jaish al-Islam (JAI), is accused of complicity in various war crimes amid the ongoing complexities of the conflict.

His arrest in January 2020 followed a criminal complaint filed by rights groups, including the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), which also assisted in locating him in France.

Currently 36 years old, Nema has been in pre-trial detention since his arrest and faces a potential 20-year prison sentence for allegedly recruiting and training children for armed conflict.

Nema claims he left Eastern Ghouta in May 2013 for Turkey and asserts that he could not have committed the alleged crimes due to his limited role within JAI.

His defense has challenged the French courts' universal jurisdiction to prosecute foreign nationals for war crimes, but the Court of Cassation has upheld this jurisdiction.

With the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024, Nema's lawyers are questioning the legitimacy of the trial, while prosecutors argue that pursuing justice in Syria is not feasible.

This trial is notable as it marks the first instance of war crimes being prosecuted in France under the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows for prosecution regardless of where the crimes occurred.

The trial is significant as it is the second case in France concerning Syrian war crimes, following a previous landmark trial against high-ranking Syrian regime officials in May 2024.

Set to run until May 27, 2025, the trial aims to delve into the complexities of the Syrian conflict, addressing issues beyond just the actions of the Assad regime.

Jaish al-Islam has faced accusations of terrorizing civilians in areas under its control, and Nema's involvement with the group has raised serious ethical questions.

Although the Paris Court of Appeal annulled enforced disappearance charges against him on procedural grounds in November 2023, it acknowledged JAI's responsibility for the activists' disappearance.