Syria to Launch Trials of Former Assad-Era Officials

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Trials of prominent figures linked to the rule of ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad are set to begin this weekend, marking a significant step in Syria’s post-conflict transitional justice process, a justice ministry official told AFP on Saturday.

According to the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, the first trial session will commence Sunday with the case of Atif Najib, a former senior security official who was arrested in January last year.

Najib, a cousin of Assad, previously headed political security in the southern province of Daraa—widely regarded as the birthplace of Syria’s 2011 uprising—and is accused of orchestrating a violent crackdown on early anti-governmental protests.

The ministry indicated that additional trials will follow, including those of Wassim al-Assad, another cousin of the former president, and Amjad Youssef, the primary suspect in a 2013 massacre who was arrested earlier this week.

Proceedings are also expected to target pilots accused of carrying out aerial bombardments on civilian areas during the conflict.

Syria’s civil war erupted in 2011 after government forces responded with force to pro-democracy demonstrations, triggering a prolonged conflict that has claimed more than half a million lives.

Throughout the war, Assad’s forces relied heavily on airstrikes and barrel bombs against opposition-held areas, while tens of thousands of Syrians were detained or forcibly disappeared within a notorious prison system.

Since assuming power in December 2024, Syria’s new authorities have repeatedly pledged to pursue accountability for crimes committed under the previous regime.

The arrest of former officials has been framed as part of a broader effort to deliver justice for victims and rebuild public trust in state institutions.

Assad himself fled to Russia alongside a small circle of confidants, leaving behind senior regime figures. Some of these individuals are believed to have fled abroad or sought refuge in Syria’s coastal region, an area historically associated with the Alawite minority to which Assad belongs.

Syrian Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais announced on Friday via X that the Damascus criminal court is fully prepared to begin public trials, describing the moment as one “victims have long waited for.” He emphasized that the proceedings form a core component of the country’s transitional justice framework.

International human rights organizations and activists have consistently underscored the importance of such measures, warning that sustainable stability in Syria depends on credible accountability mechanisms.

The roots of the uprising trace back to March 15, 2011, when protests erupted in Daraa following the arrest of 15 schoolboys accused of writing anti-government graffiti.

Reports that the students were tortured sparked widespread demonstrations, which were met with lethal force by security services. Najib, who was widely blamed for the crackdown, was dismissed shortly afterward.

The United States had previously sanctioned both Najib and Wassim al-Assad. The latter was designated by the US Treasury in 2023 as a key figure in a regional drug trafficking network, allegedly leading a paramilitary group involved in illicit activities.

As Syria enters this new judicial phase, the trials are expected to serve as a critical test of the country’s commitment to justice after more than a decade of devastating conflict.