Syria's ousted ex-president Bashar al-Assad sentenced to death for ‘crimes against humanity’
Syria’s former president Bashar al-Assad has been sentenced to death in absentia over war crimes and crimes against humanity during the civil war.
In a landmark verdict, Syria's former President Bashar al-Assad has been sentenced to death by a criminal court in Damascus, accused of premeditated murder, war crimes, and crimes against humanity during the country's civil war. The ousted leader, who fled to Russia in December 2024, was found guilty in absentia. The court also sentenced Atef Najib, the former head of political security in Deraa province, to death for leading the crackdown in the southern province, which fueled the uprising and subsequent civil war.
Najib, a former Syrian army brigadier general, stood inside a cage wearing a prisoner's uniform during the reading of the sentence. The ruling marks the first death sentence handed down against Assad by Syria's transitional authorities, who have been prosecuting former government figures since beginning investigations this year.
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