Episode 1

A Historic Trial

On this first episode of Branch 251, your hosts Fritz and Karam introduce the listeners to the trial that started in Koblenz, Germany, on 23 April 2020.

They revisit the question of why this trial is taking place in Germany, and not at the International Criminal Court, for example. And they introduce the accusations against the two defendants, Anwar R and Eyad A.

Tune in, to also hear from someone who was actually imprisoned in Branch 251. And get Fritz and Karam's take on what happened in the courtroom during the first week of trial.

Do subscribe to keep every episode coming to you automatically every week. If you would like to support the podcast, follow this link or go to our website branch-251.captivate.fm and click 'Support This Podcast'.

You can follow us on Twitter @Fritz_Streiff and @KaramShoumali.

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Some additional sources on this trial here:

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Logo design by laurenshebly.nl -- Photo by James Lawler Duggan/AFP/Getty Images.

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About the Podcast

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Branch 251
Syrian Atrocity Crimes on Trial

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About your hosts

Profile picture for Fritz Streiff

Fritz Streiff

Fritz is a human rights lawyer with a focus on investigations and case-building in the fields of atrocity crimes and anti-corruption. International justice is his big passion. Though podcasts follow pretty closely. He is currently based in Paris, France.

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Noor Hamadeh


Noor Hamadeh is a Syrian-American international lawyer and a nonresident fellow with the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy with a focus on business and human rights in Syria and the MENA region generally. Noor is now based in Chicago, IL
Profile picture for Asser Khattab

Asser Khattab

Asser is a freelance journalist and researcher from Syria who has reported on the Middle East from Lebanon for the Washington Post and the Financial Times; from Syria for the Spanish News Agency and others. He now lives in Paris, France.
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Saleem Salameh

Saleem Salameh is an independent writer, filmmaker and podcast producer. Saleem joined multiple Arabic podcast platforms and released five different podcasts. He also trains newcomers and human rights activists on scriptwriting and podcast making. He is currently based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
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Pauline Peek

Pauline Peek is a research assistant, production assistant and history student who also happens to possess a bachelor’s degree in singing. Originally from the Netherlands, she is currently based in Berlin, Germany.
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Hannah El-Hitami

Hannah is a German-Egyptian freelance journalist focused on sociopolitical topics from Arab countries, as well as migration and human rights issues. She has worked for the Amnesty Journal and published in Der Spiegel, Al Jazeera, Justice Info, among others. She is currently based in Berlin, Germany.