Watan-The director of the Syrian Public Security Directorate in Latakia Governorate, western Syria, Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kanaifati, confirmed that on Friday, Brigadier General Atef Najib of the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime’s army was arrested. Najib played a role in igniting the Syrian revolution after attempting to suppress it in its early stages in Daraa Governorate.
Atef Najib served as the head of the Political Security Branch in Daraa until 2011, when the Syrian revolution began. He wielded significant influence within the security apparatus and had strong authority in southern Syria due to his familial ties with the head of the Syrian regime—he was Assad’s cousin.
Najib’s name became infamous in 2011 for his role in one of the key events that triggered the revolution against the Assad regime. Under his leadership, the Political Security Branch arrested several children in Daraa for writing anti-regime slogans on their school walls, inspired by protests in other Arab countries like Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia.
The arrests took place on February 27, 2011, when 18 students in Daraa were detained for writing phrases such as “The people want the fall of the regime” and “Your turn has come, doctor.”
Najib ignored the demands of the children’s families, the city’s elders, and a tribal delegation that pleaded for their release. He infamously responded, “Forget your children, go home and have more. On March 16, 2011, the families of the detained children, along with relatives of other detainees from various provinces and human rights activists, staged a sit-in at Marjeh Square near the Interior Ministry in Damascus. However, security forces violently dispersed the protest, arresting 12 people, including several opposition activists. Two days later, Atef Najib’s harsh response to the people of Daraa led to widespread protests in the governorate.
The security forces’ violent crackdown on demonstrators, resulting in deaths among protesters, fueled public anger and caused the protests to spread across all Syrian provinces. The ousted Assad regime attempted to contain the escalating protests following Najib’s insult to the people of Daraa by dismissing him from his position. However, by then, it was too late—the protests had already evolved into a full-scale revolution, which later took a military turn due to the security forces’ use of live ammunition against demonstrators.
In April 2011, former U.S. President Barack Obama signed an executive order imposing sanctions on Syria, prohibiting dealings with key regime figures, including Maher al-Assad (Bashar al-Assad’s brother), his cousin Atef Najib, and then-intelligence chief Ali Mamlouk.
Atef Najib remained absent from the Syrian scene for years, as his name became closely linked to the revolution’s outbreak. With news of his arrest now circulating, many Syrians on social media are demanding a public trial and the harshest possible punishment for him.
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