A trial of officials from Bashar al-Assad's regime has begun in Syria

The first trial against leaders of the former regime, who are responsible for years of repression, has begun in Damascus. 

According to Al Arabiya, Atif Najib is physically present in the dock; he is accused of mass arrests and the brutal suppression of protests in the province of Daraa in 2011. It was these events that triggered the start of the civil war, which lasted more than a decade.

Dictator Bashar al-Assad himself and his brother Maher are being tried in absentia, as they have left the country and are currently in Russia. The court is also examining the crimes of other Assad relatives and former security officials who belonged to the clan that ruled Syria unchallenged for nearly half a century. The trial covers the period from Hafez al-Assad’s rise to power in the early 1970s to the regime’s collapse following the latest rebel offensive.

The start of the trial against the Kremlin’s ally dealt another blow to Russia’s foreign policy positions, as it had provided military and political support to the Syrian dictator for years. In addition to domestic charges, the international community continues to gather evidence regarding the regime’s use of chemical weapons and torture in prisons. Syrian society views this trial as an important step toward establishing justice and the democratic restoration of the state.

Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad settled in Moscow with his family after fleeing the country. According to the NYT, he leads a luxurious lifestyle under the full protection of Russian intelligence services. The family lives in a large house and frequents Russia’s elite establishments.

In Germany, a former Syrian prison guard has been chargedwith crimes against humanity.

More than half a million Syrianshave returned home from Turkey, according to CNN.