Syria will begin public trials on Sunday for prominent figures from the rule of former president Bashar al-Assad, starting with Najib, the former head of political security in Daraa province. Najib, a cousin of the former leader, is accused of orchestrating a violent crackdown in the southern province where the 2011 uprising began.

Upcoming proceedings are also set to include Wassim al-Assad, another cousin of the former president, Amjad Youssef, the main suspect in a 2013 massacre, and pilots accused of carrying out airstrikes on Syrian cities and towns. The trials come after the new authorities seized power in December 2024 and pledged accountability for crimes committed during the 13-year civil war.

The conflict, which erupted after a harsh response to pro-democracy protests, killed more than half a million people and saw widespread destruction, mass detentions and enforced disappearances. Officials say the trials mark a long-awaited step in a broader transitional justice process aimed at delivering accountability for victims.