In a landmark decision, a Syrian court sentenced former President Bashar Assad to death in absentia. Assad, along with his younger brother Maher, was convicted of crimes against humanity and war crimes related to Syria’s 14-year conflict. The conflict resulted in approximately 500,000 deaths.
This marks the first time Assad or members of his close circle have faced such sentences since the fall of the family’s longstanding regime, 20 months prior. The court session was broadcast live, with Judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan stating, “Bashar Assad used state agencies to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Also sentenced was Assad’s maternal cousin, Atef Najib. Najib, convicted for his role in the Daraa province crackdown, faced his charges in a high-security courtroom. The crackdown, which Najib oversaw, initiated what became a widespread uprising and, eventually, a civil war.
Najib, a former head of the Political Security Branch in Daraa, was presented in court wearing a prison uniform inside a cage. His conviction relates to events in 2011, where teenagers were arrested and tortured for anti-government graffiti. This incident was pivotal in triggering mass protests against Assad’s regime.
As of now, Assad and his brother Maher reside in Russia, where they fled after the collapse of their government in December 2024. Syria’s current leaders have requested Russia to extradite the Assad brothers. Maher Assad was notably a former commander of the Syrian military’s 4th Armored Division, criticized for numerous human rights abuses including torture and extrajudicial activities.
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