A Syrian court has handed down a death sentence in absentia to 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, which resulted in approximately 500,000 deaths.
This marks the first time that Assad or any members of his inner circle have faced such severe consequences since the end of their family’s five-decade rule 20 months ago. Judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan, in a live broadcast on state TV, accused Bashar Assad of using state agencies to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The court also sentenced Assad’s maternal cousin, Atef Najib, to death in the same case. Najib, who was convicted of overseeing a crackdown in Daraa that sparked the uprising and civil war, stood trial in a cage wearing a prisoner’s uniform amid heavy security, while a crowd gathered outside the courthouse in central Damascus to hear the verdict.
After their government fell in December 2024, Assad and his brother Maher sought refuge in Russia and were granted political asylum. The new Syrian authorities have requested Russia to extradite the Assads back to Syria.
Atef Najib, a former Syrian army brigadier general who headed the political security branch in Daraa under Assad in 2011, was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in April 2011. He is one of the highest-ranking officials to face trial and was accused of overseeing the torture of prisoners, including teenagers arrested for anti-government graffiti that sparked mass protests against Assad’s regime.
While some of Najib’s victims were present at the courthouse to witness the sentencing, human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch have expressed their opposition to the death penalty and emphasized the importance of fair trial standards and accountability for crimes committed during the Assad era.