Who is Atef Najib, the ex-Syrian security official sentenced to death with Bashar al-Assad?

Atef Najib, a cousin of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has been sentenced to death by a Damascus court for his role in the security crackdown that sparked Syria's 2011 uprising. Najib, a former Syrian army brigadier general, was present in court alongside Assad and his brother Maher al-Assad, who were tried in absentia.

Unlike his relatives, Najib was detained by Syrian security forces in early 2025 and is one of the highest-ranking former Assad-era officials to face trial. Najib headed the Political Security Branch in Daraa, a city in southern Syria, during the early stages of the uprising. The city became a focal point of protests after teenagers were arrested and allegedly tortured for writing anti-government graffiti on a school wall.

Najib was convicted of premeditated murder and torture, with prosecutors linking his actions to the broader crimes committed during the conflict. The judge, Fakhareddine al-Aryan, announced the death sentence during a court session broadcast on state television, and Najib can appeal the verdict.