The first public trial of former officials connected to the regime of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad began on Sunday in Damascus, marking a significant step in the country’s transitional justice process. The court session, held at a Damascus courthouse, included the appearance of Atef Najib, a former brigadier general and cousin of Bashar al-Assad, who faces charges related to crimes committed against the Syrian people.

Najib served as the head of the Political Security Branch in Daraa province during 2011, a period when anti-government graffiti by teenagers in the region sparked mass protests. The subsequent government crackdown on demonstrators escalated into a brutal civil war lasting over 13 years. Najib, arrested in January 2025 after the fall of Assad’s government in December 2024, appeared in court wearing a striped prison uniform but was not questioned during the initial hearing, which focused on legal and administrative preliminaries.

Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher, the former commander of the military’s 4th Armored Division, are among the defendants charged in absentia. Both fled Syria amid the final stages of the conflict in late 2024, with Assad reportedly seeking refuge in Moscow as opposition forces advanced on Damascus. Alongside the Assad brothers, several other former high-ranking security officials face charges, including accusations of widespread repression, torture, and involvement in violent operations during the war. Opposition activists and human rights groups have long accused the 4th Armored Division of criminal activities such as killings, extortion, drug trafficking, and running detention centers.

The presiding judge, Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan, described the proceedings as the commencement of Syria’s transitional justice efforts. Officials indicated that future in-person hearings would also involve other key figures from the former regime, including Wassim al-Assad, another relative, and former Grand Mufti Ahmed Badreddin Hassoun. Several military and security officials arrested by the new authorities in recent months are also expected to face trial.

Crowds gathered outside the courthouse on Sunday to observe the trial proceedings, with many expressing hope for accountability and justice after years of conflict. Baraa Abdulrahman, a spokesperson for the Syrian Ministry of Justice, emphasized the trial's importance for judicial independence, transparency, and holding former regime members responsible.

The trial is slated to continue with a second hearing scheduled for May 10, as Syrian authorities pursue efforts to address alleged crimes committed during the Assad era and to affirm the rule of law following the government’s ouster.