Bashar al-Assad Sentenced to Death in Absentia by Syrian Court | ChatZyr
By Editorial Desk | Team Chatzyr
A Syrian court has sentenced ousted president Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia over crimes committed during the country’s nearly 14-year civil war, marking a major step in Syria’s post-Assad accountability process.
The ruling was issued on Tuesday by a criminal court in Damascus. Assad was convicted over charges including premeditated murder, torture, arbitrary detention and crimes against humanity linked to abuses carried out during his rule. His younger brother, Maher al-Assad, was also sentenced to death in absentia, according to reports.
The verdict is the first major sentencing of Assad or members of his inner circle since his government collapsed following a rebel offensive in December 2024.
Assad fled Syria as opposition forces closed in on Damascus and later settled in Moscow after receiving asylum in Russia. Syrian authorities have sought the return of former regime figures facing prosecution.
The court also sentenced Atef Najib, Assad’s cousin and former head of political security in Daraa, to death. Najib was tried in person after being detained in January 2025.
Najib was held responsible for serious abuses during the crackdown on protests in Daraa in 2011, including killings, torture and the deaths of children. The southern city became the starting point of the uprising that eventually developed into Syria’s devastating civil war.
The proceedings form part of Syria’s wider transitional justice effort, as authorities pursue former officials accused of grave violations during the Assad era.
The death sentences represent a historic judicial development for Syria, although Assad remains outside the country and the practical enforcement of his sentence depends on whether he is ever returned to Syrian custody.
Why it matters: The verdict marks the first death sentence against Syria’s former ruling leadership since the fall of the Assad government and places accountability for decades of alleged abuses at the centre of the country’s political transition.
Published on Chatzyr.net
Written By Editorial Desk | Team Chatzyr
Disclaimer: This report is based on information obtained from credible and publicly available sources at the time of publication. Details may evolve as further official confirmations and investigations emerge.
