Syria has launched its first judicial proceedings against ousted president Bashar al-Assad and senior members of his former government. The public hearing began at 11 a.m. on Sunday in Damascus, marking the start of trials under the interim government. Only one defendant, Atef Najib, Assad’s cousin and a former brigadier general, appeared in court. Najib, who once headed the political security branch in Daraa province, was brought in handcuffed and placed in a cage inside the courtroom.

Najib is accused of leading crackdowns and arrests in Daraa in 2011, when teenagers were detained and tortured for anti-government graffiti, sparking nationwide protests that escalated into a 13-year civil war. The conflict ended with Assad’s downfall on December 8, 2024, leaving over half a million dead and displacing hundreds of thousands. Assad fled to Russia after his ouster, along with many close allies.

The court set May 10 for the next hearing. Other defendants to be tried in person include Assad’s relative Wasim al-Assad, former Grand Mufti Ahmed Badruddin Hassoun, and several military and security officials arrested in recent months.