French media: Algerian and Polisario detainees to face trial in Syria alongside pro-Assad forces

Around 500 Algerian soldiers and fighters from the Polisario Front, who supported former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, are set to face trial in Syria, according to a report from French media outlet Monte Carlo Doualiya (MCD) cited by The New Arab.

These detainees were reportedly captured by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Aleppo in November. Despite Algeria's request for their return, Syria's interim leadership has refused. Intelligence documents found in Damascus allegedly reveal that these troops, trained by Algeria, were sent to Syria in 2011 on orders from Algeria's Ministry of Defense.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria's interim president, known previously by his nom de guerre, Aby Mohammad al-Julani, stated that the detainees would receive a fair trial along with other pro-Assad forces.

Algeria had been a steadfast ally of Assad during his 24-year rule, resisting international sanctions and his suspension from the Arab League in 2011, despite accusations of war crimes.

Under Assad, Syria supported the Polisario Front, a separatist group in Western Sahara backed by Algeria. With the new leadership in Syria and revelations about the Polisario fighters' involvement in the civil war, the future of Syria's stance on Western Sahara remains uncertain.