court's first verdicts for crimes committed during the Assad era raise important legal issues the government should urgently address, Human Rights Watch said today.
Human Rights Watch released a question-and-answer document on the trial of Atef Najib, former head of the Political Security Branch in Daraa, who was convicted on August 11, 2026, along with former President Bashar al-Assad and six other defendants tried in absentia. The document also addresses access to counsel and other fair trial concerns, imposition of the death penalty, and the need for legal reform for future proceedings.
"Prosecuting Assad-era atrocities is an important opportunity to achieve the justice Syrians have sought for over a decade," said Balkees Jarrah, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "At the same time, the trials so far highlight an urgent need for reforms to ensure that Syria's justice system can deliver fair, meaningful, and comprehensive accountability."
The eight defendants in the Najib trial were all sentenced to death. On August 18, a court convicted Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of the former president, of serious crimes, and also sentenced him to death. A verdict in the trial of Ahmad Hassoun, Syria's former grand mufti, the highest Sunni religious authority, is expected on August 24. Human Rights Watch opposes the death penalty in all circumstances because of its inherent cruelty and irreversibility.
Accessible public information about these cases has been limited. Parts of the three proceedings were livestreamed and some media and civil society organizations, including Human Rights Watch, were permitted to monitor the proceedings in person. Syrian authorities have said they will publish the full written verdicts.
Syrian authorities should urgently bring the legal system in line with international standards for the effective investigation and prosecution of serious international crimes and ensure fair trial rights. They should make criminal proceedings transparent and accessible. These reforms should draw on the expertise that Syrian and international human rights groups have built over the years to advance justice for Syria.
"Advancing justice for the litany of serious crimes committed in Syria requires more than just convictions, but building a system that can deliver competent, impartial, and independent justice," Jarrah said.
