Atef Najib, the former head of political security in Daraa and a cousin of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, is facing at least 10 charges in what activists and legal observers describe as a landmark trial in post-Assad Syria. The proceedings are taking place in Damascus and focus on allegations tied to the crackdown on anti-government protests that erupted in Daraa in 2011.
Najib is accused of overseeing arrests, torture and abuses against protesters and detainees during the early stages of the Syrian uprising. The case is closely linked to the detention of a group of teenagers accused of writing anti-government graffiti in Daraa, an incident widely seen as one of the sparks of the nationwide revolt against Assad’s government.
According to the report, the charges include torture, killings and abuses committed against civilians. Rights advocates say the trial represents a rare attempt to pursue accountability inside Syria for alleged crimes committed during the conflict, which began in 2011 and displaced millions of people.
