Syria to Begin Trials of Assad-Era Officials in Daraa, Site of 2011 Protests That Sparked Civil War

Syria is set to launch the first trials of prominent figures from the ousted government of former President Bashar Assad, the country's Justice Ministry has announced. In a post on X, the ministry said proceedings would begin with cases tied to Daraa – where the protest movement that later spiraled into civil war began – framing the move as a key step toward accountability. Protests began in Daraa following the arrest and alleged torture of 15 students accused of writing anti-government slogans amid the broader Arab Spring uprisings. Demonstrations turned deadly when security forces opened fire, escalating into a nationwide revolt that became the 13-year Syrian Civil War, killing more than half a million people. A Moscow- and Ankara-brokered truce in 2020 put an end to major fighting for nearly four years. But in late 2024, a rebel coalition led by jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Al-Qaeda offshoot, launched a swift 11-day offensive that toppled Assad, installing a transitional government under HTS chief Ahmed al-Sharaa, which has since sought to reassert control over a country fractured by war and foreign intervention, including by the US. The new authorities have arrested numerous Assad-era officials accused of crimes against civilians during the civil war and pledged to put them on trial as part of efforts to unify the country and restore public trust. "The Criminal Court in Damascus is preparing for the moment long awaited by victims: the launch of public trials next week for the henchmen and criminals of the fallen [Assad] regime," Syrian Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais said on X on Saturday. "The first trials for the henchmen of the defunct regime will focus on the events of Daraa. Just as the beginning was in Daraa, the cradle of the revolution, justice demands that it also serve as the launchpad for the path of transitional justice." Media reports citing officials say trials will begin on Sunday with Assad's cousin, Atif Najib, former political security chief in Daraa, who is widely blamed for the crackdown that sparked the civil war. Proceedings are also expected to include Wassim al-Assad, another cousin accused of drug trafficking and leading a paramilitary group linked to extrajudicial killings and the suppression of protesters, and Amjad Youssef, a former military intelligence major accused of overseeing the execution of at least 288 civilians in Damascus' Tadamon district in 2013. Al-Wais said the proceedings would form the cornerstone of transitional justice in the "New Syria." Media reports citing Syrian activists suggested the trials could be public and attended by international legal observers and diplomats to ensure transparency, though this has not been officially confirmed.