Ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad sentenced to death
What's the story
A Syrian court has sentenced ousted president Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia in a landmark case linked to the violent crackdown during the 2011 uprising. He was convicted of premeditated murder of multiple victims, including children, torture, arbitrary detention and crimes against humanity. The ruling is the first under transitional authorities who began prosecuting members of Assad's former government this year. Assad fled Syria with his family to Moscow in December 2024 as Islamist-led forces took control of Damascus.
Additional convictions
Other fugitives convicted in the case
The Damascus criminal court also sentenced Atef Najib, the former head of political security in southern Syria's Deraa province and Assad's cousin, to death for leading the crackdown in Daraa that led to the uprising and later the civil war.
Najib was found guilty of premeditated murder and torture of detainees, including children under 15.
He was kept inside a cage wearing a prisoner's uniform as the judge read the sentence.
Case
Assad regime's rule since 1971
Deraa is largely regarded as the origin of the rebellion against Assad's rule.
Protests erupted in the city in March 2011 after a group of teenagers accused of drawing anti-government graffiti were detained and allegedly tortured.
Security forces responded with brutal crackdown.
That response fueled widespread protests, which erupted into a civil war in which thousands were killed.
Protesters demand an end to the authoritarian practices of the Assad regime, which existed since Assad's father, Hafez, became president in 1971.
Others
Trial began on April 26
Other fugitives convicted in the case include Maher Al-Assad (Bashar's younger brother), Fahd Jassem Al-Freij, Mohammad Ayman Ayoush, Louay Ali Al-Ali, Qusay Ibrahim Mahyoub, Wafiq Saleh Nasser, and Talal Fares Al-Asimi.
The trial began on April 26 as part of a process described by Syrian state news agency Sana as seeking the truth, ensuring justice for victims, and holding those involved accountable.
Legal proceedings
Landmark moment in Syria's transition from war to peace
According to Sana, Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Arrian, who led the case, convicted Assad of "the crime of premeditated murder and intent against more than one person and against children, and of the crime of torture and arbitrary detention, and of committing crimes against humanity, and sentenced him to death."
Judge Al-Aryan of the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus said witness testimony established the former president's role in the crimes as "the highest decision-maker."