Syria court sentences ex-President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia

A criminal court in Damascus on Aug 11 sentenced former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia after convicting him of crimes committed during the country's nearly 14-year civil war.

Assad's younger brother Maher al-Assad and their cousin Atef Najib were also sentenced to death. Maher was tried in absentia, while Najib, a former head of political security in Deraa province, was present during the proceedings.

The Damascus court found Bashar al-Assad guilty of premeditated murder, torture and crimes against humanity. Maher was convicted of premeditated murder and torture, while Najib was sentenced for crimes against humanity.

The ruling marks the first major conviction of senior figures from Assad's former government under Syria's transitional authorities, which began prosecuting former regime officials this year.

Najib was the former political security chief in southern Syria's Deraa province. He was detained by Syrian authorities in January 2025 and later became the first former senior Assad-era official to face a public trial under the country's transitional justice process.

The court's case against Najib included allegations of murder, the killing of children under the age of 15 and torture resulting in death. According to the court, Najib denied the charges and showed no remorse.

The proceedings are linked to the violent crackdown on protests in Deraa in 2011. The crackdown became a major turning point in the uprising against Assad's government, which subsequently developed into a prolonged civil war.

Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December 2024 after rebel forces captured Damascus and his government collapsed. He subsequently fled to Russia, where he remains in exile. Syrian authorities have sought his extradition from Moscow, but Russia has so far not handed him over.

The court also handed death sentences in absentia to several other former military and security officials who had fled Syria, including former Defence Minister Fahd al-Freij and Louay al-Ali, who headed military intelligence in Deraa in 2011.

The verdict comes as Syria's transitional authorities pursue legal action against figures associated with the former Assad government. The proceedings have been presented as part of efforts to establish accountability for abuses committed during the conflict.

The ruling has particular significance for Deraa, where the 2011 protests began and where the initial crackdown by security forces became one of the defining episodes of the Syrian uprising.

The case also highlights the practical challenge of enforcing a death sentence against defendants tried in absentia. Assad and Maher remain outside Syria, with both reported to be living in Russia.