International observers at Nayyouf's trial stated that it did not meet international standards of judicial fairness.[2] As editor-in-chief of Sawt al-Democratiyya, Nayyouf received the harshest sentence of all the CDF members on trial.[6] Nayyouf was sentenced on 17 March 1992 to 10 years of hard labour.[4] He was sentenced for his membership in the CDF, which was banned under the Syrian regime, as well as "disseminating false information".[3]