Damascus, May 19 (SANA) The Fourth Criminal Court at the Justice Palace in Damascus held a new hearing on Tuesday in the trial of deposed regime security official Atef Najib, who faces charges related to crimes committed against the Syrian people.
Representatives of international and human rights organizations attended the session.
SANA’s reporter said the hearing was held behind closed doors and without media access because it included legal arguments, questioning, confidential documents and testimony from protected witnesses.
Najib faces charges linked to direct and shared command responsibility for “systematic” violations targeting civilians in Daraa province, including killings, torture and arbitrary detention during his tenure as head of the Political Security Branch in the province.
The charges also include involvement in the suppression of peaceful protests through the use of live ammunition and excessive force, as well as accusations of mass killings and involvement in the “Omari Mosque massacre.”
Prosecutors further accuse Najib of involvement in torture practices that resulted in deaths inside detention centers and of coordinating with military, security and political officials within an organized command structure responsible for carrying out the grave violations.
Najib, a cousin of the head of the deposed regime, criminal Bashar al-Assad, previously headed the Political Security Branch in Daraa and was associated with security crackdowns and arrests during the early stages of the 2011 protests, including the detention of children in Daraa in March of that year.
The trial is part of broader efforts by Syrian government to pursue accountability for violations committed during the war, document key events and support measures aimed at preventing future abuses.
kA.ABD
