Syrian authorities detain ex-president’s maternal cousin

Atef Najib, the maternal cousin of Syrian ex-President Bashar al-Assad, has been detained by the country’s new authorities.

Details regarding the location and circumstances of the detention have not been disclosed. During Assad’s regime, Najib held the position of head of the Political Security Directorate in the Daraa province in southern Syria, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The new Syrian authorities have yet to comment on this information. Syria's armed opposition launched a significant offensive against government forces in the Aleppo and Idlib governorates in late November 2024.

By December 8, they had entered Damascus as government troops retreated from the city, leading to Bashar Assad's resignation as president and his departure from the country. 

On December 10, Mohammed al-Bashir declared that he would lead a transitional government in Syria until March 2025, following his role as head of the opposition’s Salvation Government in Idlib since January 2024. As of January 29, Ahmad al-Sharaa was announced as Syria’s transitional president.

By Naila Huseynova