Syria Puts Atef Najib in Trial Cage as Transitional Justice Begins at Damascus Palace of Justice

Syria opened its first public trial of Assad-era officials after opposition forces overthrew Bashar al Assad in a lightning-quick operation, with Atef Najib stepping into an iron cage at Damascus's Palace of Justice.

“This morning I sent my resignation letter to the Prime Minister”

a5r5br.net

TRT World reported that Najib, who once declared "I am god in Daraa," was the first official of the ousted regime to face a public trial inside Syria, and that the presiding judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan opened the session with the words: "Today we begin the first trials of transitional justice in Syria."

a5r5br.net

The trial began 16 months after the authoritarian regime was overthrown, and the ousted leader fled to Moscow with his wife and children besides his brother Maher, according to TRT World.

TRT World said Najib is expected back before the court on May 10, when substantive proceedings begin, and that future in-person trials are expected to include Wassim al Assad and former grand mufti Ahmed Badreddin Hassoun.

The same TRT World account said Bashar al Assad and his brother Maher are charged in absentia, accused of killings, torture, extortion, and drug trafficking, while crowds gathered outside the court in celebration for a moment of accountability.

TRT World described the trial as a turning point for Syrians who had spent years in exile, quoting political activist Nedal al Amari from Daraa saying, "I never expected that this day would come."

Al Amari told TRT World that seeing the criminals behind the bars of a Syrian courtroom changed his belief in justice, adding, "It made me truly believe, for the first time, that justice will prevail, no matter how long it takes, no matter the cost."

Al-Jazeera Net

TRT World also said Syrian authorities arrested Amjad Yousef, the main suspect in the 2013 Tadamon massacre in Damascus, in which at least 41 people were killed, and that a leaked video appeared to show Yousef shooting civilians detained and blindfolded.

Al-Jazeera Net reported that Syrian authorities said they will pursue symbols of the former regime legally, with Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Maj. Gen. Abdul Qader Al-Tahan describing the trial of Atef Najib as "a shift from managing the conflict to building a legal and institutional track for accountability."

Al-Jazeera Net added that Damascus asked Russia to hand over Bashar al-Assad, while Syrian Prosecutor General Hassan Al-Turba said Syrian authorities issued arrest warrants in absentia and are coordinating with Interpol and countries to pursue and hand over wanted figures.

Al-Jazeera Net said Syrian authorities announced they will pursue symbols of the former regime legally, with official assurances of coordination with Interpol and attempts to obtain Russian cooperation to hand Bashar al-Assad over to Damascus.

“Entre Poutine et al-Charaa, le rabibochage des deux anciens ennemis russe et syrien Le président syrien de transition était mercredi 28 janvier à Moscou pour rencontrer Vladimir Poutine”

l'Opinion

In the same account, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Maj. Gen. Abdul Qader Al-Tahan said Damascus has begun, through Interpol, procedures to pursue officials who fled the country, and that Bashar al-Assad's name will top wanted lists as the person most responsible for crimes committed against the Syrian people.

Al-Jazeera Net also reported that after the regime's fall the Interior Ministry managed to safeguard between 90 and 95 percent of the former regime's archives, including documents and evidence, and confirmed the establishment of a dedicated unit within the ministry to preserve these files for investigations and trials.

l'Opinion reported that Syrian transition president Ahmed al-Charaa was in Moscow on Wednesday 28 January to meet Vladimir Poutine, and that Poutine saluted progress "en termes de restauration des relations inter-étatiques" during a Kremlin press statement alongside Ahmed al-Charaa.

l'Opinion framed the meeting against Russia’s earlier support for Bachar al-Assad during the civil war, noting that Poutine did not accede to the extradition request for the ex-dictator syrien in Russian exile, while Al-Jazeera Net said the request to Russia has not yet been carried out.