Former Syrian president Assad sentenced to death in absentia over war crimes PHOTO/UPDATED

Syria’s former President Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher al-Assad and their cousin Atef Najib have been sentenced to death after being convicted of crimes committed during the country’s nearly 14-year war, Al Jazeera reports.

The Criminal Court in Damascus on August 11 found Bashar al-Assad, who was overthrown in December 2024 and now lives in exile in Russia, guilty in absentia of premeditated murder, torture and crimes against humanity.

Maher al-Assad, who is also reportedly living in Russia, was sentenced to death in absentia for premeditated murder and torture.

Najib, the former head of political security in southern Syria’s Deraa province, was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity. He was detained by Syrian authorities in January last year.

Najib was accused of launching a deadly crackdown on protesters in Deraa in 2011, an episode that helped trigger the uprising that later developed into a civil war. His charges included murder, “the intentional killing of children under 15” and “torture leading to death.”

Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan said Najib denied the charges and showed “no remorse.”

Several other former military and security officials who fled Syria were also sentenced to death in absentia, including former Defence Minister Fahd al-Freij and Louay al-Ali, who headed military intelligence in Deraa in 2011.

The ruling marks the first death sentences against senior members of the former Assad government under Syria’s transitional authorities, which began prosecuting figures from the former regime this year.

Addressing the court, al-Aryan said witness testimony established Bashar al-Assad’s role as “the highest decision-maker” and showed that he had used state institutions to facilitate the crimes.

Syria has repeatedly demanded that Russia extradite Bashar al-Assad, but Moscow, which granted him asylum, has so far refused.

Meanwhile, Damascus is seeking the return of other former regime officials believed to be hiding or detained abroad.

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A Syrian court has sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad to death, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reports.

Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year dictatorship in Syria came to an end on December 8, 2024, when opposition forces captured Damascus after a rapid offensive. Assad fled to Russia, where he was granted asylum, ending more than five decades of Assad family rule in Syria.

Ahmad al-Sharaa, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), emerged as Syria’s de facto leader following Assad’s overthrow.

On January 29, 2025, he was formally appointed transitional president, tasked with overseeing the country’s political transition and rebuilding state institutions.

By Aghakazim Guliyev