Damascus: In a benchmark ruling that is expected to trigger a political turmoil in Syria, nearly two years after his dramatic ouster, a Syrian court has sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia(death sentence imposed on a fugitive who is not physically present in the court) for committing crimes against humanity. The verdict marks the first conviction against Assad by Syria’s transitional authorities and the ruling is deemed as a major step in the effort to hold the former regime accountable for killings, torture and other alleged atrocities.
Death sentence against Assad
The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus on August 11, Tuesday sentenced Assad to death after convicting him of premeditated and intentional murder, torture, arbitrary detention and crimes against humanity. Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan said Assad had used state institutions to carry out serious abuses, including the killing of multiple people and children.
The ruling was delivered while Assad was absent from the proceedings. He fled Syria in December 2024 as opposition forces closed in on Damascus. He subsequently received asylum in Russia along with members of his family.
Because Assad remains outside Syria, the death sentence cannot currently be carried out unless Moscow hands him over or he is otherwise brought into Syrian custody. Syria’s transitional authorities have previously called on Russia to surrender Assad and his younger brother, Maher al-Assad.
The verdict comes as Syria’s new leadership seeks to prosecute senior figures associated with Assad’s former government. It represents the first death sentence imposed on the ousted President and one of the most significant judicial actions against the former ruling establishment.
Maher Assad, Atef Najib also sentenced
Assad’s younger brother Maher al-Assad was handed the same death sentence in absentia. Maher, a former senior military commander and head of the powerful 4th Armored Division, was accused by opposition activists of overseeing brutal crackdowns, killings, torture, extortion and the operation of detention facilities during the conflict.
The court also sentenced Assad’s maternal cousin Atef Najib to death. Unlike the Assads, Najib was present in court, standing inside a prisoner’s cage as the verdict was read under tight security. Najib, a former Syrian army brigadier general, headed the Political Security Branch in the southern province of Daraa in 2011.
He was accused of overseeing a crackdown that became a pivotal moment in the uprising against Assad. More than a dozen teenagers were arrested and tortured after writing anti-government graffiti on a school wall in Daraa. The incident helped ignite protests that spread across Syria and eventually developed into a full-scale civil war.
Najib was convicted of premeditated murder and torture, including the intentional killing of children under 15, according to the court. He has the right to appeal.
Rebellion by Ahmed al-Sharaa ends 5 decades of Assad family rule
Bashar al-Assad became President in 2000 after the death of his father, Hafez al-Assad, who had ruled Syria for nearly three decades. His accession continued more than five decades of Assad family rule.
His presidency was transformed by the 2011 Arab Spring protests, when Syrians took to the streets demanding political reforms and an end to authoritarian rule. The government’s violent response escalated the unrest into a devastating conflict that lasted nearly 14 years.
The war killed around half a million people, displaced millions and left Syria deeply fragmented. Assad retained power for most of the conflict. His government was repeatedly accused by rights groups and opposition activists of widespread torture, arbitrary detention, killings and other abuses.
In December 2024, a lightning offensive led by Islamist opposition forces swept towards Damascus and toppled Assad’s government. Assad fled the capital and eventually reached Russia, bringing an end to his more than two-decade presidency and the Assad family’s decades-long grip on Syria. The new authorities, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, have pledged to hold individuals responsible for atrocities committed during the Assad era accountable.
However, the death sentence has also drawn criticism from human rights advocates. Human Rights Watch has opposed the death penalty in all circumstances and raised concerns over whether the proceedings meet international fair-trial standards. Meanwhile, with Assad still in Russia, the verdict may remain largely symbolic unless Syria can secure his extradition.
