Start of Legal Proceedings Against Former Syrian Government Officials

Apr 26, 2026, 15:52

Introduction

A court in Damascus has started the first public trials to prosecute former officials of Bashar al-Assad's government, following the administration's removal from power in December 2024.

Main Body

The legal process began on Sunday with a preliminary session led by Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan. This meeting focused on legal formalities rather than witness testimony. Among the defendants, Atef Najib—a cousin of the former president and former head of the Political Security Branch in Daraa—was the only person present in custody. Najib is accused of leading campaigns of repression and torturing children in Daraa in 2011, actions that are claimed to have triggered the national uprising. At the same time, the court has filed charges against several high-ranking figures who have already left the country. These include former President Bashar al-Assad and his brother, Maher al-Assad, who are believed to be living in Russia. Maher al-Assad, the former commander of the 4th Armored Division, faces allegations of extortion, drug trafficking, and running illegal detention centers. Other officials charged in their absence include former Defense Minister Fahd Jassem al-Freij and intelligence chiefs Laith al-Ali and Wafiq Nasser. These trials are taking place while the country is under the interim leadership of President Ahmad al-Sharaa. The current administration has been criticized by the public for being too slow to implement the promised justice system. This effort follows a 14-year civil war that caused approximately 500,000 deaths and displaced millions of people. Furthermore, the government has shown a stronger commitment to these trials by recently arresting former intelligence officer Amjad Yousef. While the Ministry of Justice emphasizes that these trials are necessary for accountability, victims like Ramez Abu Nabbout have demanded the maximum penalty, including the death penalty, for the killing of civilians.

Conclusion

The Syrian judiciary has now created a legal system to hold the previous regime accountable, with more hearings scheduled for May 10 to address the charges against all defendants.

Vocabulary Learning

allegation (n.)
a statement that someone has done something wrong, but which has not been proved指控；指稱
Example:The former commander is facing several allegations related to drug trafficking and extortion.
formality (n.)
something that is done just to follow a rule or custom例行程序；手續
Example:The first meeting was a legal formality to prepare for the upcoming witness testimonies.
implement (v.)
to start using a plan or system實施；執行
Example:The public criticized the government for failing to implement the promised legal reforms quickly.
prosecute (v.)
to officially charge someone with a crime in a court of law起訴；告發
Example:The authorities decided to prosecute the former officials for their involvement in the repression.
trigger (v.)
to cause something to start, especially something bad or violent觸發；引起
Example:The harsh treatment of the children helped to trigger a massive uprising across the country.

Sentence Learning

Najib is accused of leading campaigns of repression and torturing children in Daraa in 2011, actions that are claimed to have triggered the national uprising.
Passive Voice & Perfect Infinitive: The passive "are claimed" combined with the perfect infinitive "to have triggered" refers to a past action that is alleged to have caused a later situation.被動語態與完成不定式: 被動語態「are claimed」結合完成不定式「to have triggered」，用於描述據稱在過去發生並引發後續局勢的行為。
At the same time, the court has filed charges against several high-ranking figures who have already left the country.
Relative Clause: The word "who" introduces a defining relative clause that provides essential information to identify which specific figures are being charged.關係子句: 單詞「who」引導一個限定性關係子句，提供了必要的資訊以識別哪些特定官員正被起訴。
These include former President Bashar al-Assad and his brother, Maher al-Assad, who are believed to be living in Russia.
Passive Voice for Reporting: The structure "are believed to be" is used to report information that is widely thought to be true, even if not officially confirmed.用於報導的被動語態: 結構「are believed to be」用於報導被廣泛認為是事實的信息，即使該信息尚未得到官方正式確認。
While the Ministry of Justice emphasizes that these trials are necessary for accountability, victims like Ramez Abu Nabbout have demanded the maximum penalty.
Contrastive Conjunction: The word "While" is used at the beginning of the sentence to show a contrast between the government's official stance and the victims' personal demands.對比連接詞: 句首使用「While」一詞，用以將政府的官方立場與受害者的個人訴求進行對比。
The current administration has been criticized by the public for being too slow to implement the promised justice system.
Present Perfect Passive: This structure "has been criticized" describes an ongoing situation or a recent action where the focus is on the administration receiving the criticism.現在完成式被動語態: 結構「has been criticized」描述一個持續中的狀況或最近發生的動作，重點在於承受批評的行政當局。