Syrian court sentences Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for war crimes

A court in Syria has sentenced former dictator Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia, finding him guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the civil war. The verdict was delivered on Tuesday.

Assad's cousin, Atef Najeeb, was also sentenced to death for leading repression in the southern province of Daraa. Najeeb was present in court when the sentence was read, while Assad and his brother Maher reportedly fled to Russia after rebels entered Damascus in December 2024. Najeeb, a former brigadier general in the Syrian army, headed the Political Security Department in Daraa province in 2011.

The Syrian interim government began trying former regime officials this year. Assad and Najeeb are the first to be convicted for crimes committed during the previous regime's rule. This ruling marks a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings against former officials of the Assad government.