"I didn't stop, nor did any child come to me".. Aatif Najeeb's testimony reopens the case of the children of Daraa

SadaNews - A short sentence inside the courtroom was sufficient to ignite a wide debate, after it was uttered by Aatif Najeeb, the former head of the political security branch in Daraa, during his second interrogation in the case of the events at the Omari Mosque, reopening one of the most sensitive files from the early days of the Syrian protests in 2011.

During the session, Najeeb denied the charges against him, particularly those related to the arrest and torture of children, considering what is being circulated about this to be "mere baseless rumors".

In response to the judge's question about his knowledge of the arrest of children for writing the phrase "Your turn has come, Doctor", he said: "Your Honor, I have no knowledge of this, and the people of Daraa are misled; this is a rumor that spread due to other security matters, as they do not want to hold it against the branch chief".

He also denied issuing any orders to shoot at demonstrators or being involved in the violations that Daraa witnessed at the outset of the protests.

Wave of Anger and Political Debate

Aatif Najeeb's statements sparked a wave of anger and extensive debate in Syrian circles, with significant interaction on social media platforms, reopening the file of the Daraa events anew and stirring a heated discussion about the conflicting narratives of the early protests.

Many considered that what was stated in court represents an attempt to absolve himself from charges and violations associated with his name for years, especially in light of the accusations regarding his role during the first weeks of the protests, which were accompanied by arrests and security tensions.

On the other hand, others saw that these statements are not separate from a long context of debate about responsibility for the violations witnessed in the governorate during that period, considering that they are part of a rephrasing of the personal narrative of events and an attempt to deny responsibility for the facts documented by numerous testimonies.

In the course of the debate, activist Omar Al-Hourani stated that focusing solely on the incident of the children's arrest "reduces the scene", affirming the existence of "sufficient evidence and testimonies to convict those responsible for that phase", and that Najeeb's presence in a position of responsibility during the early days holds him politically and security-wise accountable for what happened later.

Other activists pointed out that the issue of the arrest of children cannot be separated from the sequence of events in Daraa between March 18 and 23, 2011, questioning who received the detainees and what the hierarchy of the security decision was at the time, insisting that what happened was not isolated events but the beginning of extensive escalation.

Others accused Najeeb of attempting to disengage from the responsibility of storming the Omari Mosque and using force against demonstrators, amidst narratives indicating the involvement of other security leaders in managing the field operations.

Other narratives spoke of intertwined security responsibilities during that phase, including accusations targeting leaders in different security agencies, amid conflicting reports regarding who issued the direct orders to open fire or storm the initial protest sites in Daraa Al-Balad.

Others questioned: "If the officials deny today everything that happened, who bears the responsibility for the blood that was shed in the early days? Who issued the actual orders on the ground?".

Counter Narratives, Clarifications, and Testimonies

In contrast, Nayef Abazid, one of the children who was arrested at that time, recalled different details via his Facebook page, affirming that he was the "first child arrested" in connection with writing the famous phrase "Your turn has come, Doctor Bashar Al-Assad".

Abazid stated that his arrest was not carried out by Aatif Najeeb but by an officer from military intelligence named Louai Al-Ali, denying any direct connection between Najeeb and the arrest of him or other children.

He added that some circulating narratives are inaccurate, noting that his detention was related to the incident of burning a "police toolbox", and that various security facts intertwined later, according to his testimony.

In a related context, the Al-Syasneh tribe stated in a statement via Facebook that the audio clip circulating of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Syasneh was taken out of context from a testimony he provided before the investigation committees in Damascus, clarifying that the recording did not include the full original testimony.

According to the statement, Al-Syasneh participated as part of a delegation of Daraa dignitaries to meet Aatif Najeeb to listen to his testimony and verify the events related to that period, during which Najeeb denied having the children, confirming that they were with another security agency, and calling for calming the situation and preventing escalation.

Najeeb is known for pursuing opponents and activists in Daraa Governorate and played a direct role in handling the incident of the arrest of Daraa children, who were subjected to torture after writing anti-Assad slogans on the walls of their school.

The forces of the General Security Administration of the Syrian Ministry of Interior arrested Najeeb in January 2025 during a security campaign to pursue remnants of the former regime in Latakia Governorate.