Two men accused of committing crimes against humanity for the Syrian state have gone on trial in Germany.   It is thought to be the first case worldwide examining the use of torture under President Bashar al-Assad's rule. The two - identified as Anwar R and Eyad A - allegedly worked as government intelligence officers. Both fled Syria in the midst of its ongoing civil war and applied for asylum in Germany, where they were arrested in 2019. Lawyers for the two men declined to talk to reporters before the case opened in Koblenz on Thursday. President Assad and his government have repeatedly denied the use of torture. But a report by UN human rights experts in March 2018 said the government was detaining tens of thousands of people and subjecting them to "various forms of brutal torture". Outside the court a group of refugees and human rights activists welcomed the start of the trial. Among them was Syrian rights lawyer Anwar al-Bunni, who says he was himself arrested by Anwar R in Damascus. Mr al-Bunni has said that after he arrived in Berlin as a refugee in 2014, he spotted Anwar R on the street, but did not immediately recognise him. "Today's proceedings should serve as an important reminder that more is needed to ensure accountability for the conflict's horrific atrocities," said Balkees Jarrah from the NGO Human Rights Watch. German authorities are investigating dozens of former Syrian officials under the principle of "universal jurisdiction" - which allows any country to prosecute those accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The German Association of Judges says cases are also being investigated in Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Mali and other countries. "War criminals get no shelter in Germany," association head Sven Rebehn told the DPA news agency.