Atef Najib — a cousin of President Bashar al-Assad and the political security chief in Deraa whose 2011 actions helped spark Syria’s uprising — has been put on trial in Damascus, the first public prosecution of an Assad-era figure since the 15-year civil war ended. He appeared for a preparatory hearing on charges state media described as “crimes against the Syrian people.”

Who is on trial Atef Najib, a cousin of Bashar al-Assad and the former head of political security in southern Deraa, was the lone defendant to appear at a preparatory hearing held in Damascus on Sunday. State-run outlets say Najib is accused of overseeing the crackdown on protesters in Deraa in 2011 — the arrests and reported mistreatment of teenagers who scrawled antigovernment graffiti on a school wall are widely cited as the spark for mass demonstrations that year. That unrest escalated into a broader rebellion and then into a 15-year civil war. Najib faces charges described as “crimes against the Syrian people.” Several other figures from the Assad era have been charged in absentia, accused of killings, torture and other abuses. Courtroom scene and public reaction Families of victims travelled to the capital to attend the hearing. Crowds gathered outside the court and celebrated after the session, according to reporters on the ground. A spokesman for Syria's Justice Ministry told television that holding the proceeding in public was intended to bolster transparency and judicial independence as part of a transitional justice process. The ministry framed the trial as one step in delivering accountability for wartime abuses. Context: war, overthrow and accusations The civil war that followed the 2011 uprising lasted 15 years and is estimated to have killed hundreds of thousands of people. The interim government's push to open public cases has followed criticism over delays in setting up a transitional justice process after the war's end. Those officials who remain in Syria or who have been captured are now the focus of the interim government's accountability drive. Why this matters The Najib case is an early test of whether the interim government will follow through on promised public accountability. A public, substantive trial could set a precedent for prosecuting other figures accused of wartime abuses and shape how transitional justice is carried out. Recent arrests and related cases Authorities have moved on cases beyond Najib's. On Friday, Syrian forces arrested Amjad Yousef, a former intelligence officer wanted over the 2013 Tadamon massacre in Damascus, where at least 41 people were killed according to reports at the time. A leaked video in 2022 appeared to show Youssef shooting blindfolded detainees; investigators named him as a suspect in the mass killing. The arrest of Yousef and the prosecution of Najib are the most prominent actions to date by the interim authorities to pursue individuals accused of serious abuses during the conflict. Officials say such steps form part of a broader transitional justice effort that has been promised since the end of active hostilities. Legal and political mechanics The Najib case was opened as a public proceeding. Sunday’s session was a preparatory hearing; court authorities say the main trial will resume next month. Najib remained in custody and appeared alone in court while other accused figures were charged in absentia.

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Court authorities said the main trial will resume next month.

This article was created with AI assistance.