In brief
A Syrian court declared former president Bashar al‑Assad – who fled from Damascus to Moscow – guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity and sentenced him to death in absence. The court also handed a death sentence to former southern security chief Atef Najib, who was seen in a cage while the verdict was read. The ruling follows the interim government’s earlier trials of ex‑regime officials and highlights the ongoing quest for accountability as the country grapples with the civil war’s legacy. Whether the Russian‑based former leader will be extradited remains uncertain, but the verdict marks a symbolic step toward justice for victims.
A Syrian court has pronounced former president Bashar al‑Assad as guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the country’s long civil war, and sentenced him to death in his absence.
Assad left Damascus for Moscow with his family after the 2024 regime change, where he has remained in exile since his five‑decade rule concluded.
The same court also condemned Atef Najib, a former security chief in Deraa who is related to the former president, to death. Najib had to wait in a cage while the judge announced his sentence in the courtroom.
In 2011, teenagers accused of graffiti were detained and allegedly tortured in Deraa, sparking protests that escalated into a nationwide uprising. The crackdown was followed by widespread demonstrations that turned into a brutal civil war, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives.
Since the new interim government took office, it has begun trying officials associated with the old regime, the first of many trials for former regime figures.
Najib’s convictions include murder, intentional killing of children under fifteen and torture leading to death. Those verdicts are the highest‑ranking cases met by the new administration.
It is still unclear whether Syria can secure Najib’s extradition from Moscow, though the death sentence marks a rare step toward justice for the war its victims.
This move follows an earlier arrest warrant issued against Assad in December of last year on charges of murder and torture. The interim government, led by president Ahmed al‑Sharaa, has seized power following a rapid 11‑day campaign that dismantled the Assad dynasty while the former leader fled abroad.
