Syrian refugees in Germany backed by human rights groups said Wednesday they had filed new criminal complaints accusing President Bashar al-Assad's regime of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
More than 27,000 images of torture and killings allegedly perpetrated by the Assad regime in Syria have been handed to German prosecutors who are investigating possible abuses, a rights group said on Friday.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad bears "sole responsibility" for the US strike on a regime airbase, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande said in a joint statement on Friday.
The mounting tensions between the United States and Russia have created a situation that is "more dangerous" than the Cold War, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in an interview published Saturday.
Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier praised a deal reached in Munich that calls for a ceasefire in the Syrian civil war within one week – but it remains to be seen whether the agreement will stick.
A Syria donors' conference in London next week co-hosted by Germany will urge participating countries to double the amount of money they are giving to tackle the humanitarian crisis, Downing Street said on Wednesday.
Germany's foreign intelligence service BND has resumed cooperation with the Syrian secret service in the fight against Islamist extremists, according to a newspaper report Friday.
The fight against Isis will not be won with military action but by bringing an end to the civil war in Syria around the negotiating table, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Monday.
Most Syrian refugees in Germany fled their country out of fear for their lives and want to return home when it's safe, a survey released on Wednesday shows.
Germany on Sunday called for a transitional government in Syria in a bid to resolve the country's years-long civil war, as European governments increasingly soften their demands over President Bashar al-Assad's departure.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that President Bashar al-Assad should be involved in any Syrian peace talks, amid mounting pressure to end the four-year conflict.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has admitted making "mistakes" at the start of the uprising against him in March 2011, in an interview in which he called on Germany to play the role of a mediator in the conflict.
The leaders of Germany and France joined US President Barack Obama on Friday in pledging to consider new steps to punish Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and his government over "indiscriminate" attacks on civilians.
