DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrian courts began their inaugural public prosecution of former Assad administration officials on Sunday in the nation’s capital.
Former army brigadier general Atef Najib, who directed the Political Security Branch in Daraa province during Assad’s reign and is related to the ousted leader, stood before judges to answer accusations concerning “crimes against the Syrian people,” according to the state news service SANA.
During his 2011 tenure, Najib oversaw operations when young people who spray-painted anti-regime messages on school property in Daraa were detained and subjected to torture. This incident sparked widespread demonstrations against Assad’s oppressive security apparatus.
Government forces responded with severe violence to the demonstrations, escalating into a devastating 14-year conflict that concluded when rebels removed Assad from power in December 2024 through a rapid military campaign. Assad escaped to Russia while most of his leadership also fled the country.
Court officials filed charges against Assad and his brother Maher, who previously led the Syrian military’s 4th Armored Division — a unit opposition groups claim committed murders, torture, extortion and narcotics operations while operating private detention facilities — though both remain absent from Syria along with other senior security commanders.
Among all the accused, only Najib was detained and physically present for Sunday’s preliminary court session, with proceedings scheduled to resume next month.
Citizens assembled outside the judicial building in celebration.
Interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa’s administration has received criticism for postponing the implementation of promised transitional justice measures. The nation continues working toward recovery following 14 years of warfare that resulted in approximately 500,000 deaths, displaced millions of residents, and left the country devastated and fragmented.
Officials now seem committed to more actively pursuing former Assad loyalists.
Syrian law enforcement detained Amjad Yousef on Friday, a former intelligence operative featured in footage released four years earlier that allegedly documented him and associates killing numerous bound and blindfolded detainees in Tadamon, a Damascus area, during the nation’s conflict.
