The Internal Security Forces affiliated with the Ministry of Interior in Daraa announced on Saturday, August 15, 2026, that they had detained Musab Abu Rakba, a former lieutenant colonel in the Political Security Branch in Raqqa province, after his return from Austria, where he had been sentenced to eight years in prison before appealing the verdict.
Prison sentence and appeal before Austrian courts
The Vienna Court had sentenced Abu Rakba to eight years in prison on July 6, 2026, after convicting him of “torture, physical abuse and sexual crimes against civilian detainees” while he served as head of the Criminal Investigations Department in Raqqa between 2011 and 2013. Abu Rakba appealed the verdict.
Leaving Austria during the appeal period
Reuters reported on Friday, August 14, citing four sources, that Abu Rakba left Austria during the appeal period and arrived in early August in his hometown of Nawa in Daraa province, after living in Austria for more than 10 years.
A spokesperson for the Austrian court told the agency that judicial authorities had not detained Abu Rakba pending trial or imposed travel or residency restrictions on him because they did not consider him a flight risk, given that he had lived with his family in Austria since 2014.
The spokesperson confirmed that Abu Rakba’s departure from Austria during the appeal period, before a final ruling in his case, did not constitute a violation of Austrian laws or rulings.
Welcome reception and calls for accountability
According to Syrian sources, Abu Rakba’s family held a welcome reception after his return, inviting local figures and officials and stating in the invitation that he had been “released from prison” in Austria. The event took place before the Internal Security Forces announced his detention in Daraa.
Abu Rakba’s return and the reception held for him sparked controversy among Syrians, while activists from Raqqa province launched a campaign on social media calling for him to be held accountable, accusing him of participating in the suppression of peaceful protests in the city between 2011 and 2013 before later leaving.
