Former Syrian Security Official Atef Najib Sentenced to Death Alongside Bashar al-Assad

A court in Damascus on August 11 sentenced former Syrian security official Atef Najib along with former President Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher al-Assad to death. The verdict came on charges including premeditated murder and crimes against humanity linked to the 2011 crackdown on protesters in Deraa province.

Unlike al-Assad and his family, who fled to Russia after the regime collapsed in December 2024, Najib has been detained in Syria since January 2025. During the trial, he was charged with at least 10 counts, including murder, torture, responsibility for massacres, and crimes against humanity related to the 2011 repression in Deraa.

Who is Atef Najib?

Najib, 66, is the first cousin of former President Bashar al-Assad and once headed the political security branch in Deraa province, southern Syria. He joined the Homs Military Academy after finishing high school and later held that position during the 2011 uprising. He was removed from his post by the al-Assad government in April 2011 over the crackdown on protests.

He is notoriously associated with the Deraa security chief role at the time teenagers were arrested and tortured for writing anti-government slogans on a school wall — an event widely seen as the catalyst for the broader revolt that escalated into a 14-year civil war.

Najib left Syria after the regime fell but later returned. Security forces from the Interior Ministry captured him in January 2025 during a campaign targeting remnants of the old government in Latakia province. His arrest was considered one of the most significant against former security officials due to his sensitive position in the early days of the uprising.

The Court's Ruling

The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus issued the verdict on August 11 after a trial that began on April 26. Najib was the only defendant present in court, while al-Assad and Maher were tried in absentia.

According to the ruling, Najib was implicated in the torture of numerous prisoners and was responsible for the deaths of many people during detention. The court determined that the al-Assad government's actions in Deraa province in 2011 constituted crimes against humanity. According to an Al Jazeera Mubasher report, 75 plaintiffs filed lawsuits against Najib and provided testimony throughout the trial.

This is the first time a Syrian court has ruled against a senior al-Assad official under the current transitional government.

Significance of the Ruling

The trial is seen as a test for Syria's transitional justice system and the new government's ability to hold former regime officials accountable. The administration of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has faced criticism for being slow to implement transitional justice processes after a war that killed an estimated 500,000 people.

According to a 2025 report by the Syrian Network for Human Rights, more than 181,000 people were forcibly disappeared or arbitrarily detained during the war, with 90% attributed to the al-Assad regime.

Fadel Abdulghany, founder of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, commented: “What matters in this process is not limited to whether Najib is held accountable… The true significance of the trial lies in the legal foundation these proceedings leave for the judicial record.”

An Al Jazeera correspondent in Damascus reported that people gathered outside the court as the verdict was announced, expressing relief and celebrating in the streets. “The country has attempted to reconcile more than five decades of al-Assad family dictatorship over the past 18 months,” the correspondent added.