Ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad sentenced to death in absentia

In a landmark ruling, a Syrian court has pronounced death sentences in absentia on the former dictator Bashar al-Assad, who faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the country's civil war. Additionally, Assad's cousin, Atef Najib, the former head of political security in the southern province of Deraa, was also sentenced to death.

The court's verdict marks the first conviction against Assad, who fled to Moscow with his family following the overthrow of his regime in December 2024. Deraa is considered the birthplace of the uprising against Assad's rule, where protests in March 2011 against the detention and alleged torture of teens were met with violent crackdowns by security forces.

Syrian interim authorities have been prosecuting officials linked to the Assad regime since earlier this year. Najib, one of the highest-ranking officials to face trial, was convicted for murder, the intentional killing of children under 15, and torture leading to death. Six other former military and security officials were also sentenced to death in absentia, including Assad's younger brother Maher, who ran the army's elite Fourth Division.

The court's ruling was met with jubilation by Syrians in Deraa, who gathered outside the courthouse, holding pictures of loved ones killed by the regime and chanting for Assad and his aides to be hanged. A prosecutor involved in the case, Nouha al-Masri, whose brother was killed during the 2011 crackdown, expressed relief that justice had finally been served.

However, it remains uncertain whether Syria's new leadership will manage to extradite Bashar and Maher al-Assad from Moscow, as most senior figures from the old regime remain out of reach in Russia.