A sting operation was mounted against the Working Group on Syria, Propaganda, and Media of Professor Tim Hayward (director of the Just World Institute at the University of Edinburgh) [1].

It was spearheaded by the Commission for International Justice and Accountability - CIJA; an association expressly created to establish the responsibility of the Syrian Arab Republic and its leaders for crimes against humanity. This association was funded to the tune of $ 50 million by Germany, Canada, Denmark, the United States, Norway, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the European Union.

It turns out that its chief executive, William Wiley (pictured), was also running a private law firm called Tsamota, located at the same address. While his company specializes in advising other companies on ways to steer clear of criminal prosecutions, behind the mirror he uses his association to set up precisely such criminal prosecutions. Tsamota has worked for the United States and the United Kingdom and is included in the Panama Papers.

William Wiley is said to have been a CIA analyst in Iraq.

CIJA made contact under a false identity with Professor Paul McKeigue, a respected member of the Working Group on Syria, Propaganda, and Media. It provided him with false information so that he would relay it and CIJA could then discredict him. However, the operation fizzled out.

Last year the European Union’s Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) called for the CIJA to be prosecuted in the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium for "submitting false documents, false invoicing and illegal profits" [2].

Moreover, the work undertaken by the CIJA against Syria does not seem to carry much weight, despite the sums involved. Also in 2020, Germany put on trial Anwar Raslan, accused of being a torturer at the service of the "Bashar regime". The CIJA had forwarded documents purporting to revealing his position within the administration. Wrong again! The man turned out to be a member of the opposition and with ties to the jihadists.

[2] “OLAF unravels fraud among partners in Rule of Law project in Syria”, European Anti-Fraud Office, March 24, 2020.