Syria sentences ousted president Bashar Al Assad to death in absentia

A Syrian court on Tuesday pronounced death sentences in absentia on former President Bashar Al Assad, his brother Maher, and former security official Atef Najib, marking a pivotal moment in the country's post-2011 uprising judicial landscape. The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus delivered the death sentences after a trial that included Najib, the ex-head of political security in Daraa province, and other defendants, some of whom were tried while not physically present.

Najib, a cousin of Bashar Al Assad, was charged with murder, torture, and arbitrary detention related to the 2011 protests in Daraa, which were ignited by the arrest and torture of children. Prosecutors sought the death penalty for Najib, Bashar al-Assad, Maher al-Assad, and other defendants, citing accusations of crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Najib was apprehended by Syria's new authorities in January 2025, following the fall of Assad's government in December 2024. His public trial commenced at the Palace of Justice in Damascus in April 2026. Tuesday's verdict is among the most significant judicial actions against senior former Syrian government officials since Assad's ouster.