Syria court sentences Assad-era security official Atif Najib to death
- Najib was sentenced to death by a Syrian court for 'crimes against humanity' in Daraa
A Syrian court sentenced Assad-era official Atif Najib, a cousin of Bashar al-Assad, to death for "crimes against humanity" committed during the 2011 uprising.
- The specific crimes leading to the death penalty.
- Atif Najib's role as head of political security in Daraa.
- Najib's family ties to the ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad.
DAMASCUS: A Syrian court on Tuesday sentenced Assad-era official Atif Najib to death for “crimes against humanity” committed when he was head of political security in Daraa province, the cradle of the country’s 2011 uprising.
The court convicted Najib, a cousin of ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad and arrested in January last year, of crimes including murder, “the intentional killing of children under 15”, and “torture leading to death”.
The acts attributed to him are “crimes against humanity”, the court said as it handed down “the harshest punishment against him, which is the death penalty”.