Syria's Ex-President Bashar al-Assad Sentenced to Death in Absentia

The Syrian court has sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher to death in absentia for committing crimes against humanity and war crimes during the 14-year civil war that claimed around half a million lives. Bashar ruled Syria from 2000 until the rebels overthrew his government in December 2024. Maher commanded the elite Fourth Division and was a top security figure for the regime.

The court found Bashar guilty of premeditated murder, including killings of children, torture, and crimes against humanity. The brothers are accused of overseeing a violent crackdown on protests starting in 2011, during which the government is alleged to have committed widespread killings, arrests, and torture. Bashar's cousin, Atef Najib, the former head of political security in Daraa province, was also sentenced to death.

Najib was accused of overseeing torture of 15 boys detained for writing anti-Assad slogans in 2011, which sparked protests in Daraa that led to the civil war. Najib was arrested in January 2025 and appeared in court wearing a prison uniform. The sentences come as Syria's new government seeks to address past abuses while dealing with renewed sectarian violence.

About 1,500 people died in retaliatory violence in March 2025, and more than 1,700 were killed in sectarian violence in Suweida province in July 2025. Transitional justice committees have been established, and former Assad-era officials have been arrested to pursue justice and prevent further intercommunal violence.