Live Media Coverage Suspended During Atef Najib Trial

ARK News.. The judge of the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus issued a decision to halt live media broadcasts from inside the courtroom during the trial session of Atef Najib, in a move aimed at protecting witnesses and preserving confidentiality.

Judge Fakhruddin al-Aryan approved the suspension of live media coverage from inside the courtroom during the proceedings, stating that the measure was intended to safeguard witnesses and maintain the confidentiality of sensitive information whose disclosure could obstruct the investigation and trial process.

Following the decision, the court immediately requested that media representatives leave the courtroom, while the session remained public “for those present,” including representatives of the prosecution and the public prosecutor’s office. Media coverage of the proceedings was assigned exclusively to the Syrian Ministry of Justice.

The decision also allows the recordings to be released at a later stage after review and the removal of witnesses’ names and classified material, with the footage to be shown only to the defendant and those present inside the session.

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