Syria sentences Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia over atrocities

A Syrian court has sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for atrocities committed during the country's civil war. According to The Times of Israel, Assad's cousin Atef Najib was also given the death penalty for overseeing the 2011 crackdown that helped trigger the uprising against the regime. Najib was present in the Damascus court.

Assad's brother, Maher Assad, was also sentenced to death, as reported by Ajel English. The sentences were handed down for crimes including killings, torture, and crimes against humanity.

Atef Najib, a former senior Syrian security official, was accused of overseeing the security crackdown in Daraa, which helped ignite Syria's uprising in 2011, as per Live Mint. He was detained by Syrian security forces in early 2025 and is among the highest-ranking former Assad-era officials to face trial in Syria.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, The Times of Israel, Ajel English, Live Mint, Daily Times — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.