Courts in Syria Start Trials for Old Leaders
Courts in Syria Start Trials for Old Leaders
敘利亞法院開始審理前政府領導人
Introduction
Courts in Syria are now starting trials for people from the old government.
敘利亞法院目前正開始審理前政府人員。
Main Body
On Wednesday, a court in Damascus saw Wassim al-Assad. He is 46 years old. The court says he sold illegal drugs to other countries. Police arrested him on June 21, 2025.
週三，大馬士革的一家法院審理了 Wassim al-Assad。他今年 46 歲。法院指控他向其他國家販賣非法藥物。警方於 2025 年 6 月 21 日將他逮捕。
Next, the government will start a trial for Ahmad Hassoun. He was a religious leader. The court says he told people to kill others during the war in 2011.
接下來，政府將開始審理 Ahmad Hassoun。他曾是一位宗教領袖。法院指控他在 2011 年戰爭期間煽動他人殺戮。
These trials started because the old leader, Bashar al-Assad, left for Russia in December 2024. Now, Ahmad al-Sharaa is the new president. He started a new government in January 2025.
這些審判之所以開始，是因為前領導人 Bashar al-Assad 於 2024 年 12 月前往俄羅斯。現在 Ahmad al-Sharaa 是新任總統，他在 2025 年 1 月成立了新政府。
Conclusion
Syria is using courts to punish old leaders and make new laws.
敘利亞正利用法院來懲罰前領導人並制定新法律。
Vocabulary Learning
🕒 Then vs. Now
Look at how the story changes from the past to the present. This is the key to A2 English: knowing when something happened and what is happening.
The Past (Finished)
left(from leave) Bashar al-Assad left for Russia.arrested(from arrest) Police arrested him.was(from be) He was a religious leader.
The Present (Now)
are startingCourts are now starting trials.isHe is 46 years old.
💡 Quick Pattern: When you see a date like 2011, 2024, or June 21, the verb usually gets an -ed ending (like arrested) or changes completely (like left). This tells the reader the action is over.
Vocabulary Learning
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."
Vocabulary Learning
Commencement of Judicial Proceedings Against Former Regime Affiliates in Damascus.
大馬士革開始對前政權關聯人士採取法律行動
Introduction
The Syrian judiciary has initiated legal proceedings against high-ranking individuals associated with the previous administration.
敘利亞司法部門已對前政府的高層人員啟動法律程序。
Main Body
On Wednesday, the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus convened the initial hearing for Wassim al-Assad, a 46-year-old relative of the former president. The prosecution's case centers upon allegations of narcotics trafficking—specifically the manufacture and exportation of Captagon to adjacent states—and various other criminal activities perpetrated during the prior regime's tenure. It is noted that the defendant is currently subject to sanctions imposed by European and United States authorities. His detention occurred on June 21, 2025, as a component of a systematic effort to apprehend individuals implicated in 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 舉行了初次聆訊。檢方指控其涉嫌販賣毒品——特別是製造並向鄰國出口 Captagon——以及在前政權任期內犯下的其他各項刑事罪行。值得注意的是，被告目前受到歐洲及美國當局的制裁。他在 2025 年 6 月 21 日被拘留，是系統性逮捕涉嫌參與國家贊助之虐待行為人士行動的一部分。
Furthermore, the Justice Ministry has announced the scheduled trial of former Grand Mufti Ahmad Hassoun. According to Director Baraa Abdul Rahman, the charges against Hassoun pertain to the issuance of religious decrees that allegedly incited lethal violence against citizens during the civil unrest that commenced in 2011. These proceedings are situated within a broader framework of transitional justice, intended to establish institutional accountability. This legal shift follows the December 8, 2024, departure of Bashar al-Assad to Russia, which terminated the Baath Party's governance and facilitated the January 2025 establishment of a transitional administration under President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
此外，司法部宣布將對前大穆夫提 Ahmad Hassoun 進行審理。根據 Director Baraa Abdul Rahman 的說法，對 Hassoun 的指控涉及發布宗教法令，涉嫌在 2011 年開始的內亂期間煽動對公民的致命暴力。這些程序處於一個更廣泛的過渡正義框架內，旨在建立制度問責制。此次法律轉向隨後於 2024 年 12 月 8 日 Bashar al-Assad 離境前往俄羅斯而展開，這終結了復興黨的統治，並促成 2025 年 1 月在總統 Ahmad al-Sharaa 領導下成立過渡政府。
Conclusion
Syria is currently conducting trials of former officials to address historical grievances and establish the rule of law.
敘利亞目前正對前官員進行審理，以解決歷史積怨並建立法治。
Vocabulary Learning
⚖️ The Anatomy of 'Institutional Gravity'
To move from B2 to C2, a student must stop describing actions and start describing mechanisms. The provided text avoids simple verbs like "started" or "did," instead utilizing a lexical field of Institutional Gravity—language that anchors an action within a formal, systemic framework.
🔍 The Pivot: From Action to Framework
Observe the transformation of simple concepts into C2-level systemic descriptors:
- B2: "The government started trials..."
- C2: "The Syrian judiciary has initiated legal proceedings..."
- B2: "The trials are part of a plan..."
- C2: "These proceedings are situated within a broader framework of transitional justice..."
🛠️ Linguistic Dissection: Nominalization & Static Verbs
The text achieves its authoritative tone through Nominalization (turning verbs into nouns). This removes the 'human' element and replaces it with an 'institutional' one.
*"...as a component of a systematic effort to apprehend individuals..."
Instead of saying "they are systematically trying to catch people," the writer uses a noun phrase (systematic effort). This creates a distance that signals objectivity and legal formality.
🧬 The 'C2 Precision' Palette
Note the use of high-precision verbs that specify the nature of the legal relationship:
| Verb | Precision Nuance |
|---|---|
| Centers upon | Not just "is about," but defines the core axis of a legal argument. |
| Pertain to | Establishes a formal link between a charge and a specific action. |
| Facilitated | Suggests the creation of conditions that made an outcome possible, rather than just "causing" it. |
| Implicated in | Suggests a complex web of involvement rather than a simple "did it." |
🎓 Scholar's Note: To replicate this, stop using verbs of movement or simple cause-and-effect. Instead, use verbs of positioning (situated, centered, aligned) and nouns of process (tenure, governance, proceedings).