A Syrian court has sentenced former Syrian President Bashar Assad and his younger brother to death in their absence for their involvement in crimes against humanity and war crimes during the 14-year conflict in Syria, which resulted in approximately 500,000 fatalities.
This ruling, delivered by the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus, marks the first time that Assad or members of his inner circle have faced such legal consequences since their decades-long rule came to an end 20 months ago.
Judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan, speaking during a live broadcast on state TV, stated that Bashar Assad utilized state entities to perpetrate war crimes and crimes against humanity. Additionally, Assad’s maternal cousin Atef Najib, who was found guilty of overseeing a brutal crackdown in the southern province of Daraa that sparked the uprising leading to the civil war, was also sentenced to death in the same case.
Atef Najib, a former Syrian army brigadier general, was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in April 2011 and detained later on. He held a significant position as the head of the political security branch in Daraa province under Assad’s regime in 2011.
The court session, with Najib standing in a prisoner’s uniform inside a cage, took place amidst tight security in Damascus. A crowd gathered outside the courthouse in central Damascus to witness the verdict.
Assad and his brother Maher sought refuge in Russia following the downfall of their government in December 2024. The new authorities in Syria have requested Russia to extradite the Assads.
The ruling has been met with mixed reactions, with some of Najib’s victims, who were present at the courthouse, expressing satisfaction with the verdict. Human Rights Watch has voiced opposition to the death penalty in all cases, emphasizing the need for fair trial standards and a lasting justice system in Syria for true accountability for crimes committed during the Assad era.