The Bar Association affirms the right to defend itself in the trials of "Assad's symbols"
The Syrian Bar Association issued a statement addressed to the public, stressing the need for a lawyer for the accused in criminal cases, stressing that this measure is not a legal luxury, but rather a prerequisite for the validity of the trial and preventing its invalidity.
The statement published by the Syndicate on its Facebook account came after the start of the first sessions of the trial of a number of figures of the former Syrian regime and the emergence of extensive legal and popular debates about the form of the trial, its guarantees, and the limits of the presence of the defense, in light of the sensitivity of the stage and the popular demands for justice and accountability.
In its statement, the syndicate clarified that the presence of a lawyer – whether he is a lawyer chosen or harnessed by the court – does not mean defending or justifying the crime, but rather represents a legal guarantee imposed under the criminal procedure procedure, which aims to protect the judicial verdict from later appeal.
The statement stressed that any trial before the Criminal Court in which a lawyer is not present on behalf of the accused is considered incomplete and liable to be annulled, no matter how serious the crimes committed.
Preventing criminals from getting away with it due to procedural glitch
The Syndicate stressed that the purpose of making it mandatory to have a lawyer is to fortify judicial rulings, so that they are issued according to correct procedures that cannot be questioned, in order to ensure that no defendant - regardless of his position - goes unpunished due to a formal loophole.
The statement explained that the role of the lawyer is limited to guaranteeing the rights of the defense and legal procedures, not to adopt or justify the actions of the accused in front of
the public.
The syndicate is aware of the pain and anger of the people, but stresses that true justice is not based on reactions, but on full-fledged trials that guarantee solid and irreversible sentences.
The syndicate concluded its statement by calling on Syrians to understand this principle and support efforts to conduct sound legal trials, as the only way to ensure that perpetrators of crimes are held accountable and that they do not go unpunished.
Trial of the previous system codes begins
On April 26, 2026, the first session of the trial of Atef Naguib, the former head of the Political Security Branch in Daraa, began at the Judicial Palace in Damascus, while the judge charged a number of figures of the former regime, headed by Bashar al-Assad, for trial in absentia.
The Criminal Court opened its first session to consider the charges against Atef Naguib, amid extensive human rights and media follow-up, and before the suspension of the session, the court panel appealed for the second time to the defendants whose names were mentioned, and their absence was confirmed on the minutes of the hearing.
The presiding judge confirmed that the defendants' notification warrants were "duly notified" to their last place of residence, and that they did not appear when they were repeatedly called.
Therefore, the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus decided to draw up deadline decisions for the absent defendants and to duly inform them in accordance with the provisions of "Article 322" of the Criminal Procedure Rules, before suspending the session until Sunday, May 10, with the renewal of the notifications against the defendants who are in hiding.
The sessions will include a review of files related to security violations, arrests, and practices related to the management of the security file in Daraa during the early years.
Bashar and Maher al-Assad tried in absentia
The list of defendants in absentia included Bashar Hafez al-Assad, Maher Hafez al-Assad, former Minister of Defense Fahd Jassim al-Freij, Brigadier General Mohammed Ayman Ayoush, Brigadier General Louay al-Ali, head of the Military Security Branch in Daraa, Brigadier Qusay Mahyoub, Maj. Gen. Wafiq Nasser, former head of the Military Security Branch in Suwayda, and Brigadier General Talal al-Osaimi.
Abdelbaset Abdellatif, head of the National Authority for Transitional Justice, wrote on the "X" platform: "The first session of the trial of Atef Naguib... A long-awaited step on the road to justice. From Daraa, where the spark started, to the courtroom today... Accountability is actually advancing, and the doors of truth are opening. There is no impunity, and justice continues."
Justice Minister Mazhar al-Weis wrote on Friday in a post on "X" that the Damascus Criminal Court is "preparing for the long-awaited moment by the victims: the start of public trials... to the associates and criminals of the former regime, within the path of transitional justice."
Who is Atef Naguib?
Atef Naguib is a cousin of Bashar al-Assad, and he headed a number of branches of political security in Damascus and Tartous, before he was appointed head of the political security branch in Daraa, before the outbreak of the revolution.
In 2011, Atef Najib's name was linked to the arrest of a group of children in Daraa for writing graffiti about Bashar al-Assad, noting that change is also coming to Syria.
After the arrest of the children, Daraa notables demanded their release, but Atef Najib met them with insults, violations, threats, and violation of their dignity and symptoms.
It is noteworthy that Atef Naguib has been on the US sanctions list since April 29, 2011, and on the European sanctions lists since May 9, 2011.