Trial of Bashar al-Assad and Allies Opens in Syria as Former President Faces Justice in Absentia

Syria has opened its first public trial of officials linked to the former regime of President Bashar al-Assad, marking a significant step in the country’s transitional justice process. The proceedings began on Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Damascus, with Atef Najib, the former head of the Political Security Branch in the Daraa area, appearing as the sole defendant present in court.

Najib, who is also a cousin of Bashar al-Assad, faces charges related to his role in overseeing a violent crackdown on protesters during the 2011 uprising that triggered the Syrian civil war. According to state-run news agency SANA, he is accused of crimes against the Syrian people, including killings, torture, extortion, and drug trafficking.

While Najib appeared in person, several high-level officials, including Bashar al-Assad himself and his brother Maher al-Assad, former commander of the Syrian military’s 4th Armoured Division, are being tried in absentia. They have fled Syria and remain outside the country’s jurisdiction.

The trial is being held at the Palace of Justice in Damascus and opened with a preparatory session. Human rights activists and families of victims gathered outside the courthouse, some holding photographs of children killed during the early stages of the uprising in Daraa.

A spokesperson for Syria’s Justice Ministry told Al Jazeera Mubasher that holding the trial in public was essential to ensure transparency and judicial independence as part of the broader transitional justice efforts underway in the country.