Former Syrian President Assad sentenced to death in absentia
The court linked the convictions to crimes against humanity and war crimes in the 2011 Daraa crackdown that helped spark the uprising.
- On Tuesday, a Syrian court sentenced ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad and his brother Maher to death in absentia for war crimes, while cousin Atef Najib received the same sentence during an in-person appearance.
- The rulings address accountability for Syria's 14-year conflict, which resulted in about half a million deaths, as the court found defendants guilty of systemic abuses committed during the nation's violence.
- Atef Najib, formerly head of the Political Security Branch, was found guilty of leading the 2011 Daraa crackdown that triggered the uprising; he stood inside a cage wearing a prisoner's uniform amid tight security.
- Unlike Najib, Bashar and Maher Al-Assad remain at large after reportedly fleeing to Russia following opposition forces led by President Ahmed's march into Damascus in December 2024, effectively ending the regime's control.
- This trial marks a significant step in Syria's accountability process, as Najib's detention represents a rare instance of a high-ranking official facing judicial proceedings within the country's transformed legal system.
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Bashar al-Assad was convicted on Tuesday 11 August of "crimes against humanity and war crimes" by a Syrian court.
Syria: Deposed President Bashar al-Assad sentenced to death in absentia
Former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad sentenced to death in absentia
A Syrian court has sentenced former leader Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher to death after convicting them in absentia for war crimes and crimes against humanity during the country’s devastating civil war.
Former President of Syria was sentenced to death by the Damascus criminal court, in reverence. His brother and maternal cousin were also sentenced to the same sentence.
The country began trials in April against Asad and other officials, tried in person and in absentia, accused of atrocities committed during the civil war, which erupted after the brutal repression by the former authorities of the pro-democratic protests.
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