Syrian Court Sentences Bashar al-Assad to Death in Absentia

A Syrian court has sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Most defendants were convicted in absentia and declared fugitives. Bashar al-Assad was held responsible for ordering state institutions to commit crimes against humanity during Syria's 14-year civil war, which left approximately half a million people dead. The court convicted Assad of premeditated murder, including of children, torture, and arbitrary detention. Atef Najib, a former security chief and Assad's maternal cousin, was also sentenced to death.

Najib, who was security chief in Daraa in 2011 when the crackdown on dissidents began, is in custody after being arrested in January 2025. The trial was established by a "National Commission for Transitional Justice" created by the Syrian junta led by Ahmed al-Sharaa. Victims of the Assad regime welcomed the verdict, though several NGOs criticized the trial as unfair. Assad fled Damascus in December 2024 as rebel fighters approached and is reportedly living in Moscow.