The MENA Prison Forum, along with UMAM D&R and CAREP Paris, is hosting a discussion about the recently published book of 75 Podcasts Branch 251: A Podcast to Read. The book is comprised of transcripts of the Branch 251 podcast that aimed to bridge the distance between Koblenz, Germany, where the first criminal trial took place against officials of the Syrian regime, and where these crimes were committed, in Syria. The podcast, through its episodes in English and Arabic, sought to explain and render accessible the proceedings developing in a language, location, and legal system far removed from the scenes of the crimes. The podcast and now the book provide insights into the unfoldings, findings, challenges, and dynamics of the trials against Eyad Al-Gharib and Anwar Raslan that lasted from 2020 to 2022.

This event will take the form of a discussion between Salam Kawakibi, Executive Director of CAREP Paris, and Fritz Streiff, producer of the Branch 251 podcast. The discussion will shed light on the systematic torture used by the Syrian regime before and during the Syrian revolution against any who opposed it through the evidence that has now been codified a criminal case under international jurisdiction.