Legal Action Begins Against Former Government Officials in Damascus
大馬士革前政府官員面臨法律起訴
Introduction
The Syrian court system has started legal proceedings against high-ranking individuals who were connected to the previous government.
敘利亞法院已開始對與前政府有關聯的高級官員採取法律程序。
Main Body
On Wednesday, the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus held the first hearing for Wassim al-Assad, a 46-year-old relative of the former president. The prosecution claims that he was involved in drug trafficking, specifically producing and exporting Captagon to neighboring countries, as well as other crimes committed during the previous regime. It is important to note that the defendant is already under sanctions from European and United States authorities. He was arrested on June 21, 2025, as part of a wider effort to catch people responsible for state-sponsored abuses.
週三，大馬士革第四刑事法院為 46 歲的前總統親屬 Wassim al-Assad 舉行了首次聆訊。檢方指控他涉嫌販毒，特別是生產並向鄰國出口 Captagon，以及在前政權期間犯下的其他罪行。值得注意的是，被告已受到歐洲及美國當局的制裁。他在 2025 年 6 月 21 日被捕，這是旨在緝捕國家贊助之虐權責任人員之更大行動的一部分。
Furthermore, the Ministry of Justice announced that former Grand Mufti Ahmad Hassoun will also face trial. According to Director Baraa Abdul Rahman, Hassoun is accused of issuing religious decrees that encouraged deadly violence against citizens during the unrest that began in 2011. These trials are part of a larger plan for 'transitional justice' to ensure that officials are held accountable. This legal change follows the departure of Bashar al-Assad to Russia on December 8, 2024, which ended the Baath Party's rule and led to the creation of a transitional government under President Ahmad al-Sharaa in January 2025.
此外，司法部宣布前大穆夫提 Ahmad Hassoun 也將面臨審判。根據主管 Baraa Abdul Rahman 的說法，Hassoun 被指控在 2011 年開始的動盪期間，發布宗教法令鼓勵對公民採取致命暴力。這些審判是一個更大規模的「轉型正義」計劃的一部分，以確保官員承擔責任。這次法律變革發生在 2024 年 12 月 8 日 Bashar al-Assad 前往俄羅斯之後，這結束了復興黨的統治，並導致 2025 年 1 月在總統 Ahmad al-Sharaa 領導下成立過渡政府。
Conclusion
Syria is now holding trials for former officials to address past wrongs and establish a fair legal system.
敘利亞目前正對前任官員進行審判，以解決過去的錯誤並建立公平的法律體系。
Vocabulary Learning
🚀 The 'Power Shift': Moving from Simple to Formal Verbs
At the A2 level, you likely use verbs like do, get, start, or say. To reach B2, you must replace these 'general' words with 'precise' academic verbs. Look at how this text transforms basic ideas into professional legal language.
⚡ The Upgrade Map
| A2 (Basic) | B2 (Precise) | Context from Text |
|---|---|---|
| Started | Initiated / Commenced | "...started legal proceedings" (The court didn't just 'start'; it formally began a process). |
| Did | Committed | "...crimes committed during the previous regime." (You don't 'do' a crime; you commit it). |
| Say/Write | Issue | "...issuing religious decrees" (Official documents are not just written; they are issued). |
| Make someone pay | Hold accountable | "...officials are held accountable." (This is a key B2 phrase for responsibility). |
🧠 Linguistic Logic: Collocations
B2 fluency is not about knowing more words, but knowing which words stick together. These are called collocations.
- Legal proceedings (Not 'legal starts')
- Drug trafficking (Not 'drug moving')
- State-sponsored abuses (Not 'government-helped bad things')
Pro Tip: When you see a noun like "proceedings" or "abuses," don't just learn the noun. Learn the verb and adjective that travel with it. This is the fastest shortcut to a B2 sound.
🛠️ Applying the Logic
Instead of saying: "The police started a search for the man who did the crime."
Try: "The authorities initiated a search for the individual who committed the crime."