A Syrian court has issued a death sentence in absentia for former Syrian President Bashar Assad and his younger brother for their involvement in crimes against humanity and war crimes during the 14-year conflict in Syria that resulted in approximately 500,000 fatalities. The verdict marks the first legal action against Assad or his close associates since their regime ended two decades ago.
Judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan, presiding at the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus, declared that Bashar Assad utilized state institutions to perpetrate war crimes and crimes against humanity. Alongside Assad, his maternal cousin Atef Najib was also sentenced to death for his role in overseeing a violent crackdown in Daraa, which triggered the initial uprising and subsequent civil war.
Amid heightened security measures, Najib, who was a brigadier general in the Syrian army and had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2011, appeared in court wearing a prisoner’s attire while the sentence was read. He was a key figure in the political security branch in Daraa province during Assad’s rule in 2011, where numerous individuals, including teenagers, were detained and subjected to torture, sparking widespread protests against the oppressive tactics of Assad’s regime.
Assad and his brother Maher sought refuge in Russia following the collapse of their government in December 2024 and were granted political asylum. The new authorities in Syria have requested Russia to extradite the Assads back to Syria.
Victims of Najib’s brutal actions, some of whom were present during the court proceedings, expressed relief at the sentencing. However, human rights activists, including Hiba Zayadin from Human Rights Watch, opposed the death penalty, emphasizing the need for fair trial procedures and long-term accountability for crimes committed during the Assad era.
The sentencing has been viewed as a significant step towards justice for the victims of the prolonged conflict in Syria, with calls for a robust and lasting justice system to address past atrocities effectively.
