A Syrian court has sentenced ousted President Bashar al-Assad to death for war crimes including killings, torture and arbitrary detention during his 24-year rule, Reuters reported.
The verdict marks the first conviction of Assad by a Syrian court since he was removed from power in December 2024, ending his family’s torturous rule. Assad is currently in Russia, where he was granted asylum after fleeing Syria.
The court also imposed death sentences on Assad’s brother Maher al-Assad, who commanded the Fourth Armoured Division, and former security official Atef Najib.
Najib was the only defendant among the three to appear before the court in person. He was arrested in 2025 and previously associated with security operations in Deraa, where protests against Assad’s government began in 2011.
The court referenced multiple offences in handing down the sentences, including intentional killings of men/women of all ages including children, torture, arbitrary arrests and crimes against humanity.
The verdict triggered celebrations in Damascus and Deraa.
The decision has also raised questions over whether imposing death sentences in absentia could make it more difficult to secure Assad’s return to Syria.
Assad’s government was overthrown in December 2024 after Israel/US-backed rebel forces captured Damascus, bringing an end to his rule. The war that began in 2011 killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions.
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