Syrian authorities have begun prosecuting top figures from the former Bashar al-Assad regime for war crimes committed during the country's civil war. The moves come amid pressure on the transitional government to deliver justice.
On May 10 in a Damascus courtroom, Atef Najib, a cousin of Bashar al-Assad, appeared in a metal cage wearing a prison uniform. The judge read out 10 charges against him, including murder and torture. Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher were also charged in absentia.
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The International Criminal Court's Pre-Trial Chamber confirmed all three charges of crimes against humanity against former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, April 23. The case will now proceed to full trial over alleged murders linked to his war on drugs and the Davao Death Squad. Duterte remains detained at the ICC Detention Centre in Scheveningen, Netherlands.
The general prosecutor's office opened its closing arguments on Monday by seeking the conviction of all defendants for criminal conspiracy, starting with Nicolas Sarkozy.
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In the final stages of the trial for the double murder of Farid Tir and Mohamed Amine Bendjaghlouli, several accused including Amine Oualane and Karim Harrat denied any involvement. Before the special assize court in Aix-en-Provence, they all proclaimed their innocence in this case tied to Marseille's drug trade.
Nearly 490 alleged members of the MS-13 gang, including leaders, have gone on trial collectively in El Salvador, facing charges for 47,000 crimes including 29,000 homicides committed between 2012 and 2022. The proceedings are part of President Nayib Bukele's anti-gang crackdown. Prosecutors accuse the group of rebellion and seeking to establish a parallel state.
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A court martial for 36 Nigerian military officers accused in last year’s foiled coup plot was inaugurated on Friday in Abuja and will resume on May 8 behind closed doors. Separately, a Federal High Court in Abuja has begun trials for six civilians linked to the plot, barring journalists from coverage on Monday.
Following the ICC's February naming of eight officials as co-perpetrators with detained former president Rodrigo Duterte, human rights groups are demanding arrest warrants amid confirmed charges in the crimes against humanity case over anti-drug war killings.