Photo: The New Arab
Atef Najib, a former official who served under Bashar al-Assad, is facing a criminal trial. He is accused of overseeing the crackdowns of the Syrian protests in 2011, and is being charged with “crimes against the Syrian people.” 1 The case marks one of the first major prosecutions connected to the Assad-era security apparatus.
The Syrian Revolution, which formed part of the wider Arab Spring uprisings, began in 2011 after the arrest, torture, and reported killing of several teenagers in the city of Daraa. The children had been detained after spray-painting anti-Assad slogans on a school wall. Their treatment in custody sparked outrage and quickly escalated into nationwide demonstrations demanding political reform. The Assad government responded with a forceful crackdown, deploying military and security units against protesters across the country. The unrest that followed would eventually develop into a prolonged and devastating civil war.
The proceedings have also included trials in absentia for other senior figures accused of similar crimes, including Bashar al-Assad himself. 2 While Assad is not currently in custody, the cases are part of broader efforts to establish legal accountability for actions taken during his rule.
According to allegations presented in the case, Najib was directly involved in early acts of repression, including the arrest and torture of the teenagers whose case helped ignite the uprising. He is also accused of ordering or overseeing the use of live fire against a mosque sit-in protest, as well as being linked to multiple incidents involving fatal torture during the early stages of the conflict. 3
Photo via Le Monde. Bashar al-Assad fled Syria following the collapse of his government in December 2024, after being overthrown by forces led by Ahmed al-Sharaa and his rebel group.
Current President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has made repeated attempts to have Moscow hand over Bashar al-Assad, but little progress appears to have been made, with Putin largely avoiding the issue. 4 Instead, prosecutions of individuals linked to the Assad government and those allegedly responsible for war crimes have begun to emerge in Syria’s new political era. These developments may represent the early stages of a broader attempt to address accountability for the years of conflict and suffering experienced during the Assad era.
3 DW
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