The Damascus court has initiated legal proceedings against several former officials of Bashar al-Assad's regime. In the first preparatory hearing, only one of the accused, Atef Najib, the dictator's cousin and former head of security in Daraa, appeared handcuffed and in prison uniform. Najib, arrested in January 2025, is accused of leading the repression in the province where the 2011 uprising began. The other defendants, including Assad and his brother Maher, who have fled to Russia, will be tried in absentia.
Judicial technology: remote trials for absent witnesses ⚖️
The Syrian court has implemented videoconferencing systems so that witnesses abroad can testify without needing to travel to Damascus. The technical infrastructure includes encrypted servers and automated recording of sessions. This approach allows for prosecuting fugitive defendants like Bashar al-Assad, whose whereabouts in Russia complicate any extradition. The digital platform also streamlines document management, avoiding typical bureaucratic delays. However, the physical absence of the main defendants reduces the symbolic effectiveness of the process.
The cousin who did show up: the only one without a visa to Russia 😅
While Bashar and Maher al-Assad enjoy their Moscow exile with vodka and dachas, their cousin Atef Najib had to settle for a seat on the bench and a complimentary orange jumpsuit. It seems that on the list of guests for the Russian escape, Najib was left on the waiting list. His mistake was not buying the ticket in time or trusting that his kinship would give him a VIP pass. In the end, the only cousin who responded to the court summons was him, handcuffed and without the right to reply.