In a landmark decision, a Syrian court has sentenced former president Bashar al‑Assad to death in absentia, following convictions for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the civil war.
The verdict marks the first time that Assad has faced legal consequences, after his regime was toppled in December 2024 and he fled to Moscow with his family.
Atef Najib – a former political‑security chief in Deraa province – was also condemned to death. He appeared in court wearing a striped prison uniform and inside a cage as the judge read the sentence.
The city of Deraa, the birthplace of the uprising against Assad, saw brutal crack‑downs in March 2011, triggering nationwide protests that escalated into a prolonged civil war and left hundreds of thousands dead.
A total of six former military and security officials were sentenced in absentia, including Bashar’s younger brother Maher, the former Defence Minister Fahd al‑Freij, and others implicated in the regime’s most egregious crimes.
Hundreds gathered outside the courthouse after the ruling, holding photos of relatives killed by the former regime, chanting and celebrating a perceived victory for justice and liberation.
Junha al‑Masri, a prosecutor involved in the case, lamented her brother’s death in the 2011 crackdown and vowed that the new Syria would impose no further impunity.
Despite the verdict, it remains uncertain whether Russian authorities will extradite the Assad family back to Syria. The court’s decision, issued within months of the regime’s fall, marks a significant, though challenging, step toward accountability for those responsible for the nation's decades of violence.
