By Shumaila Aslam
International News Correspondent,
Scandinavian News Agency
Assad Sentenced to Death by Syrian Court
A Damascus court sentenced former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher al-Assad to death in absentia on Tuesday, marking the first criminal ruling against the ousted leader since his government collapsed in December 2024.
The Fourth Criminal Court found the two men guilty of ordering killings, torture, and arbitrary detention that amounted to crimes against humanity and war crimes during Syria’s 14-year civil war.
The ruling also convicted Assad’s maternal cousin, Atef Najib, along with several former security officials. Unlike the Assad Sentenced to Death brothers, Najib was physically present at the trial, appearing in a defendant’s cage inside a courtroom in central Damascus.
He was found guilty of leading a violent crackdown in Daraa province in 2011, the crackdown widely seen as the spark that ignited Syria’s uprising and subsequent civil war.
Background: Assad’s Fall and Flight to Russia
Bashar al-Assad ruled Syria for 24 years before his government was overthrown in a rapid rebel offensive in December 2024, ending more than five decades of Assad family rule.
He and his brother Maher, a former commander of the Syrian army’s 4th Armored Division, fled to Moscow and were granted political asylum by Russia.
Syria’s new government has formally requested that Russia hand over the Assads, though Moscow has not indicated any intention to do so.
The civil war that followed the 2011 uprising killed an estimated half a million people and displaced millions more, according to United Nations estimates cited by wire agencies covering the trial.
What the Court Found
Prosecutors presented evidence linking the Assad brothers to systematic violence against civilians, including summary killings and detention-center abuses carried out during the war. The court also convicted Najib of murder, the killing of children under 15, and torture leading to death.
Crowds gathered outside the courthouse as the verdict was read. Nayef Abazeid, who says he was detained at age 13 in 2011, told reporters that lasting satisfaction would only come when Assad faces execution.
Reactions Remain Divided
Human rights organizations have offered a cautious response. Hiba Zayadin, a Syria researcher at Human Rights Watch, said the group opposes capital punishment even in this case, warning that the process is irreversible and that a fair trial cannot be guaranteed for defendants tried in absentia.
Caroline Rose, a senior director at the Soufan Center, told Euronews that the sentencing represents a symbolic milestone in Syria’s post-Assad accountability process, though she noted enforcement will likely apply only to Najib, since Bashar and Maher remain in Russia and are unlikely to be extradited.
Key Facts:
- A Damascus court sentenced Bashar al-Assad and brother Maher Assad Sentenced to Death in absentia for crimes against humanity and war crimes.
- Cousin Atef Najib, present at trial, was also sentenced to death for the 2011 Daraa crackdown that triggered the civil war.
- Assad fled to Russia in December 2024 after his government’s collapse; Syria has asked Moscow to extradite him.
- The 14-year civil war killed an estimated half a million people.
- Human Rights Watch has criticized the death sentence on principle, while raising fair-trial concerns.
- Assad Sentenced to Death
FAQs:
1. Why was Bashar al-Assad sentenced to death?
A Damascus court found him guilty of ordering killings, torture, and arbitrary detention that amounted to crimes against humanity during Syria’s civil war.
2. Will the death sentence actually be carried out?
Unlikely in the near term. Assad and his brother are in Russia, which granted them asylum and has shown no sign of extraditing them.
3. Who else was sentenced in this case?
Assad Sentenced to Death brother Maher al-Assad and cousin Atef Najib were also sentenced to death, along with several other former security officials.
4. What happened to Atef Najib?
Unlike the Assad brothers, Najib was present for the trial and remains in Syrian custody. He can appeal the verdict.
5. When did Assad’s government fall?
Assad Sentenced to Death government collapsed in December 2024 after a rapid rebel offensive ended his family’s 54-year rule.
What Happens Next
Legal analysts say the death sentences against the Assad Sentenced to Death brothers are unlikely to be carried out unless Russia agrees to extradition, which appears improbable given the asylum already granted.
Najib retains the right to appeal his conviction, a process that rights groups say must also meet international fair-trial standards.
Syria’s transitional government has not issued a formal statement on how, or whether, it intends to pursue enforcement against fugitives living abroad.
Read more: Assad Sentenced to Death full case breakdown
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