In a Damascus courtroom on Sunday, the first former official of the ousted Assad regime faced trial, offering a glimpse of long-awaited accountability for victims of Syria's brutal civil war. Atef Najib, former head of Political Security in Deraa, was charged with "crimes against the Syrian nation" as crowds of victims' families chanted for justice.
Najib, a cousin of deposed President Bashar al-Assad, is accused of orchestrating the violent crackdown that sparked the 2011 uprising in Deraa. Families wept and shouted slogans as he stood behind bars, a moment many described as bittersweet relief. "I felt that today we started to get justice," said Nuha al-Masri, a lawyer whose brother was killed in the crackdown.
But the trial also drew criticism. Human rights lawyer Anwar al-Bunni, who helped convict a Syrian colonel in Germany for war crimes, argued that Syria lacks proper legislation to prosecute such atrocities. "They are ridiculing his crimes and ridiculing the victims with this trial," he said. Others worry the proceedings may be a show to appease the public, especially as some former regime figures remain in positions of influence.
Despite doubts, the trial marks a significant step. "It tells everyone that no one is exempt from justice," al-Masri added. For many Syrian families, it is a first taste of closure on a long road to accountability.
Additional reporting from Lana Antaki in Damascus