An Assad regime general standing trial in Syria faces charges of having children tortured and stripped of their fingernails, a court heard on Sunday.
Details of the allegations against Atif Najib emerged at his second court hearing at the Palace of Justice in Damascus. Mr Najib is the first top official from the Bashar Al Assad era to stand trial over alleged war crimes.
Prosecutors have filed more than 10 charges including murder, torture and kidnapping. Mr Najib was the head of security in Deraa, regarded as the birthplace of the 2011 anti-Assad uprising that triggered a crackdown and civil war.
It is alleged that his forces arrested schoolchildren for daubing political slogans on walls, before subjecting them to torture including electric shocks, fingernail removal and severe beatings. Prosecutor Omar Al Radii said Mr Najib had resisted efforts to have the children released.
"Deraa was the cradle of the revolution, and the path to justice must begin from there,” Mr Al Radii said. He said what happened there "marked the beginning of a long history of violations against civilians," according to state media.
Further incidents to be considered in the trial include the firing of live ammunition at protesters staging "peaceful sit-ins" at a mosque, leading to deaths and injuries. It is alleged that Mr Najib and his men prevented ambulances from reaching the wounded.
Some of the 75 people who have filed legal complaints against Mr Najib are expected to testify before the court. The trial is regarded as a milestone in Syria's efforts to address Assad-era crimes. The head of a justice commission, Abdul Basit Abdul Latif, said the proceedings showed it would never be too late to prosecute crimes committed under the former regime.
Bashar Al Assad and some of his lieutenants are set to be tried in their absence. The former president fled to Russia in 2024 as his regime crumbled under a rebel offensive. The new Syrian government under President Ahmad Al Shara has struck up cordial relations with Moscow, but Russia has shown no indication it is willing to hand over its former ally.
Several other Assad regime figures have been tracked down and arrested. Last month, former general Adnan Abboud Halawa was detained over his suspected role in a 2013 chemical attack on Ghouta that killed more than 1,500 people. A week earlier, authorities announced the arrest of Amjad Yousef, a former member of military intelligence and the chief suspect in another 2013 massacre, sparking celebrations in south Damascus.
