On March 13, 2013, Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan, a judge at Idlib’s Civil Court of Appeal, publicly defected from the Syrian regime – an act that led him to be sentenced to death in absentia. In December 2024, more than a decade later, Bashar al-Assad’s regime – the very one he had defected from – was overthrown, and al-Aryan was able to finally return to Syria’s judiciary. Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 The cost of 76 years of US wars, from Korea to Iran list 2 of 3 Down but not out: In war with Israel, Hezbollah shows it is still powerful list 3 of 3 What lies ahead for Gaza after ceasefires in Iran and Lebanon? end of list In the latest step on al-Aryan’s journey from defection to exile to return, he was the presiding judge on Sunday at the opening of the trial of Atef Najib , a cousin of former President al-Assad and the former head of political security in the southern province of Deraa who faces charges of premeditated murder, torture leading to death and crimes against humanity.…