The first trial for crimes from the civil war has begun in Syria

The first trial for crimes committed during the Syrian civil war began in Damascus on Sunday, Syrian state television reported. Atif Najib, arrested in 2025, the cousin of the deposed Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, former head of the security forces in Daraa province, appeared in court.

Justice Minister Majar al-Wais stated that victims of persecution had been waiting for this moment for a long time. He added that it is “part of the transitional justice process.” The trials are open to the media.

Al-Wais told reporters on Saturday that officers accused of crimes committed in Daraa province would be tried first. In his opinion, this choice has “symbolic and national significance.” He described the province as “the cradle of the Syrian revolution and the starting point of the events that transformed the country.”

The first defendant to appear in court is Atif Najib. Among those awaiting trial are pilots of planes who took part in the bombing of cities taken over by forces fighting the Assad regime.

The civil war in Syria began 15 years ago. There was an ongoing wave of protests against authoritarian governments in the Middle East, called the Arab Spring. In March 2011, several teenagers were arrested in the city of Daraa for anti-regime slogans. They were tortured in security detention facilities run by Najib. There were demonstrations demanding the release of detainees and political freedom. Security forces responded by shooting live ammunition at protesters. The army entered the city; It is not known exactly how many people died, but the number of victims was estimated in the hundreds.

During the civil war, Assad's forces bombarded rebel-controlled areas. The UN Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic estimated that more than 580,000 people died in Syria between 2011 and spring 2021. people. Up to 6.7 million people had to leave the country, millions stayed in the country but had to abandon their homes. Before the war, the population of Syria reached 22 million.

Sunni rebels overthrew Assad in December 2024. They promised to bring regime representatives to justice for their crimes. However, Assad himself escaped justice by fleeing to Russia with his family and closest associates. (PAP)

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