Assad's Cousin, Who Suppressed 2011 Peaceful Protests, Arrested In Syria

Syria's new authorities on Friday announced the arrest of a cousin of ousted leader Bashar al-Assad, accused of orchestrating a crackdown in Daraa, where the 2011 uprising began.

Atif Najib, the former head of political security in Daraa in southern Syria, was arrested in Latakia, on the country's west coast, the official SANA news agency reported, citing a senior security official.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said he is the highest-ranking figure to be detained since Islamist-led fighters seized toppled Assad on December 8.

"The criminal Atif Najib has been referred to the competent authorities to be tried and held accountable for the crimes he committed against the Syrian people," SANA reported.

The protest movement against Assad began in Daraa on March 15, 2011, after 15 students were arrested for allegedly writing anti-government slogans on the city's walls.

Residents said the students were tortured, leading to a protest to demand their release that ended in bloodshed.

Najib, blamed for the crackdown, was dismissed soon after. He was on a US Treasury sanctions list alongside other Syrian officials.

The nationwide uprising was brutally crushed by Assad, spiralling into a civil war that has killed more than half a million people.

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