Damascus, July 14 (SANA)The Fourth Criminal Court at the Justice Palace in Damascus held its fifth session on Tuesday to hear the case against Atef Najib, accused of committing crimes against the Syrian people, in the presence of victims’ families from Daraa province, members of theNational Commission for Transitional Justice, and representatives of international legal and humanitarian organizations.

The session was presided over by Judge Fakhr al-Din Mustafa al-Arian, with Associate Judges Abdulhamid Muhammad al-Hamoud and Hussam Hussein Abdulrahman, and in the presence of Public Prosecution representative Judge Omar Mahmoud al-Radi.

Closed session hears witness testimony

The closed session was dedicated to hearing the testimony of prosecution witnesses, who gave their statements before the court and presented their testimony against the defendant as part of judicial evidence proceedings, strengthening the court’s examination of the facts and charges against him in accordance with legal procedures.

The witness hearings are part of the fundamental stages of criminal trials, representing one of the evidence-gathering methods used by the court to form its judicial conviction through examining testimony and linking it to evidence and indications in the case file, while ensuring the right of defense to examine them under the guarantees provided by law. The court adjourned the case until July 21 to complete judicial procedures.

Atef Najib, a cousin of deposed regime tyrant Bashar al-Assad, previously served as head of the political security branch in Daraa province.

He bears direct responsibility for the repressive campaigns and arrests that took place in the province since the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in 2011, most notably the arrest ofDaraachildren in March of that year, which sparked the protests.

Najib faces several charges, including direct and shared leadership responsibility for systematic actions targeting civilians in Daraa, including killing, torture, arbitrary detention, and participation in the suppression of peaceful protests with live ammunition and excessive force.

The charges also include direct responsibility for what became known as the al-Omari Mosque massacre, systematic mass killing, torture of detainees that led to death in detention centers, and participation with security, military and political leaders within an organized hierarchical structure in committing those grave violations, according to court documents.

The trial is part of a broader vision aims to build a justice system that ensures non-repetition of violations suffered by Syrian people, including holding officials accountable for crimes, compensating victims, and documenting pivotal events in the country’s history. The trial of Atef Najib is among the first to be heard by Syria’s new judicial authorities following the fall of the ousted regime.