{
  "id": 577595,
  "title": "Syria sentences Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia over atrocities",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/syria-sentences-bashar-al-assad-to-death-in-absentia-over-atrocities-577595",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-11T15:46:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/syria-sentences-bashar-al-assad-to-death-in-absentia-over-atrocities/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "A Syrian court has sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for atrocities committed during the country's civil war. According to The Times of Israel, Assad's cousin Atef Najib was also given the death penalty for overseeing the 2011 crackdown that helped trigger the uprising against the regime. Najib was present in the Damascus court.\n\nAssad's brother, Maher Assad, was also sentenced to death, as reported by Ajel English. The sentences were handed down for crimes including killings, torture, and crimes against humanity.\n\nAtef Najib, a former senior Syrian security official, was accused of overseeing the security crackdown in Daraa, which helped ignite Syria's uprising in 2011, as per Live Mint. He was detained by Syrian security forces in early 2025 and is among the highest-ranking former Assad-era officials to face trial in Syria.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 11,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "SABC News",
        "title": "Syria sentences absent al-Assad to death over killings, torture",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/syria-sentences-absent-al-assad-to-death-over-killings-torture",
        "published": "2026-08-11T10:20:08.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Syria sentences Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia over atrocities",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/syria-sentences-bashar-al-assad-to-death-in-absentia-over-atrocities-556084",
        "published": "2026-08-11T10:22:14.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al-Monitor",
        "title": "Syria sentences Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia over atrocities",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/syria-sentences-bashar-al-assad-to-death-in-absentia-over-atrocities",
        "published": "2026-08-11T10:30:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Jerusalem Post",
        "title": "Syrian court sentences Bashar al-Assad to death for murder, torture, crimes against humanity",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/syrian-court-sentences-bashar-al-assad-to-death-for-murder-torture",
        "published": "2026-08-11T10:46:52.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Kyiv Post",
        "title": "Syria Sentences Bashar al-Assad to Death in Absentia Over Atrocities",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/syria-sentences-bashar-al-assad-to-death-in-absentia-over-atrocities-558336",
        "published": "2026-08-11T10:50:24.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "ProPakistani",
        "title": "Former Syria President Bashar Al-Assad Sentenced to Death",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/former-syria-president-bashar-al-assad-sentenced-to-death",
        "published": "2026-08-11T11:29:12.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Tempo.co English",
        "title": "Syria's Ex-President Bashar al-Assad Sentenced to Death in Absentia",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/syrias-ex-president-bashar-al-assad-sentenced-to-death-in-absentia",
        "published": "2026-08-11T12:16:43.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Live Mint",
        "title": "Who is Atef Najib, the ex-Syrian security official sentenced to death with Bashar al-Assad?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/who-is-atef-najib-the-ex-syrian-security-official-sentenced-to-death",
        "published": "2026-08-11T13:10:49.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Times of Israel",
        "title": "Syrian court sentences ex-president Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for war crimes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/syrian-court-sentences-ex-president-bashar-al-assad-to-death-in",
        "published": "2026-08-11T14:19:21.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "Syria sentences Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia over atrocities",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/syria-sentences-bashar-al-assad-to-death-in-absentia-over-atrocities-579134",
        "published": "2026-08-11T16:06:52.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}