Atef Najib, a former Syrian security official and cousin of former President Bashar al-Assad, faced at least 10 charges including murder and torture during a court session on Sunday. The proceedings took place at the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus and are connected to his alleged actions as the head of the Political Security Department in Deraa during the 2011 anti-government protests.
Najib appeared in the courtroom in a cage while wearing a prison uniform for the second session of his trial. The initial preparatory session was held on April 26. According to reports from the court, 75 plaintiffs have filed cases against him and are expected to provide testimony.
Attendees at the May 10 session included relatives of alleged victims, members of Syria’s National Transitional Justice Commission, and representatives from international legal and humanitarian organizations. After approximately one hour, the public portion of the hearing concluded, and the court moved into a closed session. Officials stated this was for the protection of certain witnesses.
The charges against Najib stem from his time overseeing political security in the southern province of Deraa. The 2011 protests in the city were preceded by the arrest and detention of several teenagers accused of writing anti-government graffiti on a school wall. The government’s response to the ensuing demonstrations was a factor in the expansion of protests across Syria.
This trial is among the first legal proceedings in Syria against officials from the government of Bashar al-Assad, who left the country for Russia in December 2024. The former president and his brother, Maher al-Assad, who commanded the Syrian military’s 4th Armoured Division, are being tried in absentia.
Najib was taken into custody in January 2025 by General Security forces during an operation in Latakia province targeting officials from the former government.
The transitional justice process has been a stated priority for the interim government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa. The government has previously received public calls to accelerate accountability efforts for actions that took place during the conflict, in which United Nations and other international bodies estimate hundreds of thousands of people were killed.
