On Tuesday, the Syrian judiciary sentenced ousted President Bashar al-Assad to death, accusing him of committing crimes amounting to “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity” following the outbreak of the conflict that the country has witnessed since 2011.
The court also sentenced the ousted president’s brother Maher al-Assad and the former head of political security, Atef Najib, to death for murder, torture, and committing crimes against humanity.
The Syrian Arab News Agency quoted Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan as saying during the session: “The criminal Bashar al-Assad is a moral actor in all the crimes committed against the Syrian people, even if he did not commit them with his own hand.”
He added that investigations and witness statements “proved the involvement of the accused Atef Najib in the interrogation of a number of detainees following the start of the protests in Daraa,” noting that the Political Security branch in Daraa, which was led by Atef Najib, stormed the Omari Mosque in the city along with other security branches.
The judge pointed out that Atef Najib was leading the security campaign against civilians in Daraa at the beginning of the Syrian revolution, explaining that the actions attributed to him, according to investigations and witness statements, are crimes against humanity.
The court held eight sessions to consider the case against Atef Najib, who is accused of committing crimes against the Syrian people.
According to the agency, the accused, Najib, is the cousin of the head of the defunct regime, Bashar al-Assad, and bears direct responsibility for the repressive campaigns and arrests that Daraa Governorate witnessed since the start of the Syrian revolution in 2011, most notably the incident of the arrest of the children of Daraa in March of the same year, according to SANA.
The first session of Najib's trial began on April 26th, as part of a process aimed at uncovering the truth, providing justice for the victims, and holding those involved accountable according to judicial procedures.
