Minutes before a Damascus court sentenced him to death, footage captured former Syrian General Atef Najib—a cousin of ousted President Bashar al-Assad—being transported to the courtroom, according to Israeli security analyst Yair Goldblatt. The court charged him with crimes against humanity, war crimes, murder, and torture.
Tonight, footage released by Israeli security analyst Yair Goldblatt shows former Syrian Major General Atef Najib being transported to the Damascus Criminal Court minutes before the court sentenced him to death. The visual confirmation adds a new dimension to the story, which The Zioneer has been tracking throughout the day.
The first reports of the death sentence emerged Tuesday morning, with a report by Asaf Rozentzweig (N12) that a Damascus court had convicted former President Bashar al-Assad of crimes against humanity and sentenced him to death. Over the course of the day, The Zioneer reported multiple incremental updates: first, that the court had also sentenced Assad's brother Maher al-Assad and cousin Atef Najib; then that the charges included premeditated murder of children and torture; and finally that Assad had fled to Moscow. All updates were noted by the desk at 11:25 Jerusalem, reflecting a rapid sequence of court announcements.
The Zioneer has previously reported that the trial is part of the new government's crackdown on former regime officials. Najib, who served as head of the Political Security Directorate in Daraa, had been in state custody.
The footage does not show the sentencing itself, and it remains unclear when Najib will be executed or whether any appeal is possible. No visual evidence has emerged for the sentences against Assad and Maher, who remain in Moscow.
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