Syria Trial: Atef Najib Faces Multiple Charges Over Alleged Crimes

Syrian Official Atef Najib Charged with Multiple Crimes

Atef Najib, cousin of former President Bashar al-Assad, appeared before the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus on Sunday as part of a landmark trial. He is charged with at least 10 crimes, including murder, torture, and responsibility for massacres.

Najib, who served as the head of political security in southern Syria’s Deraa province, was brought into court in a cage and wearing a striped prison uniform. The trial marks the first effort in Syria to bring Assad-era officials to justice, with Najib facing allegations related to his role in overseeing a violent crackdown on antigovernment protesters in Deraa during the 2011 uprising.

Seventy-five plaintiffs have filed cases against Najib, who is expected to provide testimony in court. Relatives of victims, members of the National Transitional Justice Commission, and representatives from international legal and humanitarian organizations attended the session. The trial began with an open session lasting approximately one hour before entering a closed session for the protection of some witnesses.

Najib’s trial comes as the government of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa faces criticism over delays in launching a transitional justice process following the war, which resulted in an estimated half a million deaths. Authorities have now appeared to be moving more aggressively to prosecute officials linked to al-Assad. Najib was arrested in January 2025 during a security campaign targeting remnants of the former government in Latakia province.

The Ministry of Interior’s General Security forces had previously arrested Najib, who held a sensitive security position in Deraa at the beginning of the Syrian uprising.

Source: Al Jazeera