Syria sentences ousted leader Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia over killings, torture
Syria's Bashar al-Assad fled the capital Damascus as rebel fighters approached nearly two years ago, and is currently in Moscow.
A Syrian court sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad to death on August 11, convicting him of crimes including mass murder, torture, and arbitrary arrests during the country's 14-year civil war. This marks the first time Assad has been convicted, as he fled Damascus nearly two years ago and is currently residing in Moscow. Assad's brother, Maher, and security official Atef Najib also received death sentences in absentia for their roles in the regime's repression.
The trial, which lasted nearly four months, was seen by Syrians as a step towards transitional justice, though some critics dismissed it as performative.
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