Khaberni - A few days after the trial of Atef Najib, the former brigadier in Bashar al-Assad's regime in Damascus began, Samira Elhami, the mother of the child Hamza Al-Khatib who died under torture in 2011, stated that Najib's trial is a first step on the path to justice, indicating that she is also waiting for Bashar al-Assad to be held accountable.
The grieving mother also commented on the first public trial of Najib in front of the victims' families, on charges of committing violations against civilians in Daraa province (southern country), where Hamza was one of them, that seeing Najib being prosecuted "somewhat satiated our thirst for justice," according to what was reported by Anadolu Agency.
About the details of the day when her family received Hamza's body after his death under torture, Elhami said she was in a "severe shock" upon seeing him. She explained that her son's body clearly bore marks of torture, to the extent that he was unrecognizable.
"His body was swollen"
She added: "The marks of torture on Hamza's body documented everything, when they brought him I couldn't believe it was my son. His body and face were so swollen from the torture that he was unrecognizable."
She continued, saying: "Seeing him in that state was a shock that words cannot describe, I saw with my own eyes what they did to my son." The grieving mother emphasized that there was no justification for killing her son, pointing out that the regime forces spared no one, not even children.
Furthermore, she noted that Hamza was like other children, he went out to meet his friends and "his only fault was that he was with his friends" when he was arrested by the regime forces.
She also stressed the "extent of brutality and cruelty of Assad's regime's followers," adding: "These people cannot be human, for anyone with a speck of humanity could not torture a child in such a harsh manner."
Regarding the trial of Najib, one of the prominent officials in Daraa during the period Hamza was killed under torture, the Syrian lady said she watched on TV the moments of the first public trial. She demanded that Hamza's killers and the regime's officials should not escape punishment, asserting that "real peace is only achieved by holding the responsible accountable." She noted that Najib's trial slightly alleviated her pain, expressing some relief but added: "But this is not a complete cure for our wounds."
She continued: "The true and complete joy will come when Bashar al-Assad, the head of the snake, along with other officials, receive their deserved punishment, at least execution."