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Assad Cousin Atef Najib Appears in Court in Damascus on Charges of Murder and Torture
Atef Najib, a brigadier general and former head of the Political Security Department in Deraa, faced the first substantive session of his trial on 10 May 2026. He has been charged with at least 10 crimes including murder, torture and responsibility for massacres, with 75 plaintiffs expected to testify. The proceedings mark the first effort in Syria to bring Assad-era officials to justice.
May 10, 8:45 AM·2m read1 source
Al JazeeraAudio version
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Atef Najib, a cousin of former President Bashar al-Assad and a brigadier general who served as the former head of the Political Security Department in Deraa, appeared in a cage and wearing a striped prison uniform at the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus on 10 May 2026.
The session marked the second hearing overall and the first substantive day of his trial on at least 10 charges that include murder, torture and responsibility for massacres. Najib oversaw political security in Deraa when teenagers who scrawled antigovernment graffiti on a school wall were arrested and tortured, an incident that became a catalyst for the broader uprising.
Al Jazeera reported that 75 plaintiffs have filed cases against Najib and are expected to give testimony in court. Relatives of victims, members of the National Transitional Justice Commission and representatives of international legal and humanitarian organisations attended the open session, which lasted about one hour.
The court then entered a closed session for the protection of some witnesses.
Najib first appeared in court on 26 April 2026 for a preparatory session. The Ministry of Interior’s General Security forces arrested him in January 2025 in Latakia province during a security campaign targeting remnants of the former government. His detention was one of the most significant of former security officials given his sensitive position in Deraa at the beginning of the Syrian uprising.
The proceedings are the first effort in Syria to bring Assad-era officials to justice. Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher are being tried in absentia. Al-Assad fled to Russia in December 2024, and most members of his inner circle have also escaped Syria.
