A Syrian court has sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad to death after convicting him in absentia over war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the country’s civil war.
The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, marks the first death sentence issued against the former Syrian ruler by the transitional authorities, who began prosecuting senior figures from his government this year.
Assad was not present in court when the sentence was read. He fled Syria with his family to Moscow in December 2024 after Islamist-led forces advanced on Damascus and brought an end to his rule.
The court also sentenced Atef Najib, Assad’s cousin and a former Syrian army brigadier general, to death for his role in the violent crackdown in Daraa that helped trigger the 2011 uprising and the subsequent civil war.
Unlike Assad, Najib was present in court. He stood inside a cage wearing a prisoner’s uniform as the judge announced the sentence.
Najib served as head of the political security branch in Daraa province in southern Syria in 2011, when security forces moved against protesters at the beginning of the uprising.
He was arrested in January last year and was convicted of several offences, including murder, the intentional killing of children under 15, and torture resulting in death.
The court said it imposed “the harshest punishment against him, which is the death penalty” because of his “crimes against humanity”.
The proceedings form part of efforts by Syria’s transitional authorities to hold members of the former government accountable for alleged abuses committed during Assad’s rule. The authorities have been trying former government figures both in person and in absentia.
Assad ruled Syria for nearly 24 years after succeeding his father, Hafez al-Assad, in 2000. His government faced widespread international condemnation over its handling of the uprising, which developed into a devastating conflict that killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions.
Following his removal from power, Assad has remained in Russia, where he was granted refuge with his family.
In 2024, the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) named Assad its Corrupt Person of the Year, citing allegations surrounding corruption and the financial networks associated with his regime.
The death sentence against Assad is expected to further intensify attention on accountability for alleged atrocities committed during Syria’s long-running conflict.
