Syrian court sentences Bashar al-Assad to death for murder, torture, crimes against humanity

Former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad was found guilty of premeditated murder, torture, arbitrary detention, and crimes against humanity, and was sentenced to death on Tuesday, according to Syria's official news agency SANA. Assad, who fled Damascus in December 2024 and has been residing in Moscow since, was convicted of the premeditated murder of multiple individuals, including children.

The court also found him guilty of torture, arbitrary detention, and crimes against humanity. Atef Najib, a security official under Assad, was also sentenced to death. Assad, born in 1965, assumed the presidency in 2000 following the death of his father, Hafez al-Assad. Throughout his rule, Assad maintained the dominance of the Alawite sect, which is predominantly Shiite, in the predominantly Sunni Muslim-majority country.

He also ensured Syria's status as an ally of Iran, a country that has been hostile to Israel and the United States. The early years of Assad's presidency were marked by the Iraq war and the crisis in Lebanon. His rule was subsequently defined by a civil war that erupted in 2011, following the Arab Spring. The conflict began when Syrians demanding democracy took to the streets, only to be met with deadly force from the government.