Damascus court to open trials for Assad-era figures
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian transitional government is set to begin public trial sessions on Sunday for prominent figures linked to the rule of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, a justice ministry official told AFP.
“The first trial sessions for symbolic former Syrian regime figures will begin on Sunday,” the official said on condition of anonymity, adding that proceedings will start with Atif Najib.
Najib, a cousin of Assad, previously headed political security in Daraa, widely regarded as the cradle of the 2011 uprising. He was arrested in January 2025 and is accused of orchestrating the early crackdown on protests in the governorate.
Najib is also listed under U.S. Treasury sanctions alongside other former Syrian officials.
The official said additional trials will follow for Wassim al-Assad, another cousin of the former president, and Amjad Youssef, who was arrested this week as the main suspect in a 2013 massacre.
Proceedings are also expected against pilots accused of taking part in the bombing of Syrian cities and towns.
Wassim al-Assad was arrested in June 2026. The U.S. Treasury sanctioned him in 2023, describing him as a leader of a paramilitary unit and “a key figure in the regional drug trafficking network.”
On Saturday, Syrian Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais said on X that the Damascus criminal court was ready “for the moment that victims have long waited for: the start of public trials,” describing the step as part of a broader transitional justice process.