Syria begins trial of first Assad-era official in Damascus

Syria begins trial of first Assad-era official in Damascus Submitted by Paloma Dupont de Dinechin on Sun, 04/26/2026 - 15:36 Atef Najib, cousin of Bashar al-Assad, is accused of orchestrating the repression of the first 2011 protests Former head of political security in south Syria's Deraa province, Atef Najib attends the first trial session at the Palace of Justice, in Damascus on 26 April 2026 (AFP) Off A cage stood in the middle of the courtroom at the Palace of Justice, near al-Hamidiyah souk in central Damascus. Around 11 am on Sunday, Atef Najib, cousin of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, expressionless and dressed in a brown striped prison uniform, is brought into the iron cage and sits down. Najib, a former head of security, is accused of directing a violent crackdown on protesters during Syria 's 2011 uprising and faces charges of "crimes against the Syrian people".