Syria's first public trial of officials linked to the rule of former President Bashar Assad opened in Damascus on Sunday. Atef Najib, a former Syrian army brigadier general who served as head of the Political Security Branch in Daraa province under Assad, appeared in court to face charges related to 'crimes against the Syrian people,' as reported by state-run news agency SANA.
Background of the case
Najib held his position in 2011 when teenagers who painted anti-government graffiti on a school wall in Daraa were arrested and tortured. This incident sparked mass protests against Assad's repressive security policies. The protests were met with a brutal government crackdown, escalating into a 14-year civil war that ended with Assad's ouster in December 2024 following a rebel offensive.
Defendants and charges
Assad fled to Russia, and most of his inner circle also escaped Syria. Assad, his brother Maher, and other former high-ranking security officials were charged in absentia. Maher, former commander of the 4th Armored Division, has been accused by opposition activists of killings, torture, extortion, and drug trafficking, as well as running detention centers. Najib was the only defendant arrested and present in court for the preparatory session, which will continue next month.
Public reaction and transitional justice
Crowds gathered outside the courthouse to celebrate the proceedings. The interim government of President Ahmad Al-Sharaa has faced criticism for delays in launching a promised transitional justice process. Syria struggles to recover from 14 years of civil war that left an estimated half a million dead, millions displaced, and the country battered and divided. Authorities now appear to be moving more aggressively to prosecute Assad-linked officials.
Recent arrests
On Friday, Syrian authorities arrested Amjad Yousef, a former intelligence officer who appeared in a leaked video four years ago allegedly showing him and his comrades executing dozens of blindfolded and shackled prisoners in the Damascus suburb of Tadamon during the civil war.
