The Fourth Criminal Court at the Justice Palace in Aleppo held the seventh session today, Thursday, 14 May, for the trial of defendants accused of involvement in the coastal events case, continuing a series of previous hearings launched as part of a judicial process aimed at prosecuting those involved in violations linked to the events.
According to Enab Baladi’s correspondent, who attended the trial, the session involved members of the remnants of the former regime accused of committing violations against security and government personnel and inciting sectarian strife.
The session included seven defendants. The court president presented the charges against them during the hearing, while the defendants denied the charges attributed to them.
Defendants Appoint New Lawyers
According to the correspondent, the session was postponed until 18 June to complete some documents and procedures related to the case.
The session witnessed a new development, as a number of defendants appointed private lawyers instead of the court-appointed lawyers who had attended previous sessions as part of the legal procedures followed in felony cases.
Court-appointed lawyer Youssef Abdullah Sano told Enab Baladi that today’s session was dedicated to procedural review.
He noted that previous review sessions had been held, but the court president asked the detainees a set of questions related to sensitive points, with the aim of reaching a fair and transparent decision, as he put it.
Sano added that the next session will include additional expert assessments and review procedures.
Some files were referred for review, with the possibility of decisions being issued for all defendants at once, or separate decisions being issued against defendants whose charges are considered lighter than others.
He explained that he is currently defending two defendants, after having previously been appointed for four defendants under legal procedures, before some of them appointed private lawyers and submitted their official powers of attorney before the court.
He noted that trial procedures in felony cases cannot legally proceed without a lawyer attending for the defendant, whether as a private representative or as a court-appointed lawyer.
Previous Sessions
These hearings come as part of an ongoing judicial process through which the Criminal Court in Aleppo is examining the files of defendants over the coastal events. The Justice Palace in the city has witnessed several public hearings since late last year.
In mid-March, the court held a hearing to try seven defendants in the same case, after three previous sessions were dedicated to presenting evidence and hearing witnesses.
Video recordings and photos were presented, which the court said documented the defendants’ involvement in carrying weapons, taking part in armed activity, and acts of retaliation that targeted government forces and civilians.
During the third session, held on 8 March, the defendants were charged with participating in attacks against security and army forces, engaging in acts aimed at inciting strife and civil war, forming armed gangs, and stirring sectarian tensions.
The court also presented video recordings at the time that included threats directed at security and army forces, before deciding to refer the presented materials to a specialized expert for examination as part of the trial procedures.
The session was postponed, and 15 March was set as the date for its continuation, including hearing defense witnesses, according to what Enab Baladi’s correspondent reported at the time.
On 23 April, the court held a new session in the same case, which witnessed the continued presentation of documents and evidence linked to the investigations, as part of the court’s follow-up on examining the submitted materials, while the defendants’ lawyers requested additional time to complete defense documents and submit further information related to the case.
Lawyers who attended the session at the time said the postponement decision was intended to complete the examination of the video recordings and respond to the defense requests.
The first public trial session was held on 18 November last year, followed by a second session on 18 December.
During those sessions, the court allowed the defendants to present their statements and defend themselves, confirm their previous statements, and submit additional information within the framework of the right to defense, in the presence of their private lawyers or court-appointed lawyers.
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