The Syrian people eagerly anticipate justice for the crimes against humanity committed by officials of the toppled Baath regime, including Bashar Assad.
These figures are associated with war crimes ranging from chemical weapon use to systemic torture and forced displacement, as detailed in reports by the United Nations and other organizations.
The downfall of the 61-year Baath regime has brought more evidence to light, potentially aiding in holding the perpetrators accountable.
Despite extensive documentation, these criminals have evaded justice for years due to vetoes by Russia and China in the UN Security Council.
Anadolu compiled profiles of some key figures involved in these crimes.
As the leader of Syria during its civil war, Bashar Assad's approval of violent crackdowns on peaceful protests and widespread use of chemical weapons placed him at the center of human rights abuses.
In 2011, Assad labeled demonstrators calling for a freer Syria as "terrorists" and unleashed security forces on them, leading to a civil war that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions.
Assad's regime also launched at least 217 chemical attacks, killing thousands, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR).
Under Assad's command as the Supreme Commander of the Syrian Armed Forces, barrel, vacuum, cluster, bunker-buster and mortar bombs were widely used in attacks on civilian areas.
SNHR reported 81,916 instances of barrel bomb use, killing 11,087 civilians, including 1,821 children.
Assad's orders also led to widespread torture, massacres, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.
Maher Assad, Bashar Assad's brother, played a pivotal role in the atrocities committed by the regime.
As a general in the Syrian army and commander of the Fourth Armored Division, Maher was integral to heavy bombardments and sieges that caused mass starvation and deaths due to lack of medical care.
Reports link Maher Assad to chemical attacks in Eastern Ghouta and Khan Shaykhun, where civilians were subjected to lethal nerve agents.
His division was also responsible for imposing brutal blockades in regions like Eastern Ghouta, which led to thousands of deaths.
Beyond war crimes, Maher is accused of overseeing Syria's Captagon drug trade, exporting the illegal substance through networks in Lebanon to regional and global markets.
- Ali Mamlouk: Enforcer of repression
Ali Mamlouk, former head of the National Security Bureau, was a key figure in the regime's intelligence apparatus.
He is implicated in systematic torture, enforced disappearances, and targeting of civilians, journalists, and activists.
Under Mamlouk's watch, security forces engaged in widespread physical, psychological, and sexual abuse of detainees.
Thousands perished in detention centers due to torture or inhumane conditions.
Mamlouk is on sanctions lists by the European Union and the US and faces an arrest warrant in France for torture and human rights violations.
- Jamil Hassan: Torturer of detainees
Jamil Hassan, the former head of the Air Force Intelligence Directorate, orchestrated some of the most brutal crackdowns on opposition forces. His tenure is marked by widespread torture, extrajudicial killings, and mass detentions.
Hassan oversaw operations at the Mezzeh Air Base near Damascus between 2012 and 2019, where detainees, suspected of aiding or supporting opponents of the regime, were subjected to horrific abuse.
US Department of Justice charged Hassan with war crimes, as he reportedly ordered prisoners to be burned with acid, subjected to the screams of other tortured detainees, and share cells with corpses.
- Atef Najib: Enforcer of brutality in Daraa
A cousin of Bashar Assad, Atef Najib headed the Political Security Directorate in Daraa at the outbreak of the Syrian revolution.
Najib is infamous for his role in the arrest and torture of children who had written anti-regime graffiti, an act that ignited protests.
Najib's disproportionate orders to suppress the protest involving the use of live ammunition against demonstrators and his policies of collective punishment, including cutting off food, water, and medical supplies to the region, left a legacy of brutality in Daraa.
- Thousands more in regime's ranks
The SNHR has documented over 16,200 individuals linked to crimes committed during Assad's regime.
Among them, 6,724 are former military and security officials, and 9,476 are associated with regime-aligned militias, such as the Shabiha.
These individuals are accused of a wide range of atrocities, including torture, massacres, and the use of prohibited weapons. The evidence against them forms the backbone of ongoing efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.
For Syrians, the prospect of justice offers a glimmer of hope amidst decades of suffering and impunity.
