Damascus opens trial of Atef Najib, ex-security chief linked to Daraa crackdown

Trial opens in Damascus

The first public trial of officials tied to Bashar Assad’s rule opened in Damascus on Sunday as Atef Najib — a former brigadier general and head of the Political Security Branch in Daraa in 2011 and a cousin of Assad — appeared in court on charges described by state media as “crimes against the Syrian people.” Najib was the only defendant arrested and present for a preparatory session; other senior figures, including Bashar and his brother Maher Assad, are charged in absentia after fleeing the country following Assad’s ouster in December 2024. Crowds gathered outside the Palace of Justice to celebrate, and the justice ministry called the proceedings important for judicial independence, transparency and accountability.

The case centers on the 2011 arrests and torture of teenagers in Daraa whose mistreatment helped spark nationwide protests that escalated into a 14-year civil war. Plaintiffs, including relatives of protesters killed at Daraa’s Omari Mosque, pressed for severe sentences; one said his brother was shot while peacefully protesting and urged the death penalty. The interim government has faced criticism over delays to transitional justice, but authorities have recently moved more aggressively to detain accused officials — most recently arresting a former intelligence officer linked to a leaked execution video — as Syria attempts to reckon with the war’s massive toll. as reported by AP News

This story has also been reported by: Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle, ABC News, Middle East Eye, Jerusalem Post, Anadolu Agency, Enab Baladi, SANA