In a landmark ruling, a court in the western German city of Koblenz had convicted Eyad Al-Gharib of accessory to crimes against humanity and sentenced him to 4 1/2 years in prison.

The verdict, which was the first time that a court outside Syria ruled in a case alleging Syrian government officials committed crimes against humanity, was welcomed by human rights activists and victims of President Bashar Assad's repression.

Al-Gharib, 45, had appealed the sentence, noting that his testimony to German investigators provided significant evidence for the subsequent conviction of a second, more senior Syrian former official.

The Federal Court of Justice said it found no legal errors in the verdict or sentence imposed by the Koblenz court, meaning that the ruling cannot now be challenged.