Syria's Bashar al-Assad sentenced to death in absentia
A Syrian court has sentenced ousted leader Bashar al-Assad to death after a trial in absentia, convicting him of crimes including killings, torture, and arbitrary arrest during the country's nearly 14-year war.
The Syrian court has sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia, convicting him of numerous crimes committed during Syria's 14-year civil war. This marks the first conviction against Assad, whose iron-fisted rule ended with a rebel offensive in December 2024. The court found him guilty of premeditated and intentional murder, including the killing of children, torture, arbitrary arrest, and crimes against humanity.
Atef Najib, a security official under Assad and cousin of the former president, was also sentenced to death for similar crimes, including murder, intentional killing of children, and torture resulting in death. The court described these acts as crimes against humanity and handed down the harshest punishment possible - the death penalty.
Assad, born in 1965, took office in 2000 after his father Hafez passed away. He presided over a country dominated by his Alawite sect, which was hostile to Israel and the US, and was shaped by the Iraq war and the 2011 Arab Spring protests.
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