Bashar al-Assad Sentenced to Death by Syrian Court

A Syrian court has sentenced ousted President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia, marking the first conviction against the former leader since his government collapsed in December 2024.

The Damascus court convicted Assad of crimes including premeditated murder, torture, arbitrary arrest and crimes against humanity committed during Syria’s long-running conflict. His brother Maher al-Assad, former commander of the Fourth Armoured Division, received the same sentence in absentia.

Former security official Atef Najib was also sentenced to death. Unlike the Assad brothers, Najib was detained by Syrian authorities in early 2025 and appeared in court in person. He served in Deraa, where anti-government demonstrations in 2011 helped ignite the Syrian uprising and subsequent civil war.

Crowds gathered outside the Damascus court following the verdict, waving Syrian flags and celebrating. Similar scenes unfolded in Deraa, where people displayed photographs of Syrians who were killed or detained during the conflict.

The verdict followed a trial lasting nearly four months. Syria’s new Islamist-led authorities have presented the proceedings as part of their transitional justice efforts following the end of Assad’s rule.

However, human rights lawyer Anwar al-Bunni questioned whether imposing the death penalty could make it harder to extradite Assad and other former officials. Countries that oppose capital punishment may be reluctant to transfer defendants to Syria if they face execution.

Assad, who became president in 2000 following the death of his father Hafez al-Assad, fled Damascus after rebel forces led by Ahmed al-Sharaa launched a rapid offensive in late 2024. He and his family subsequently received asylum in Russia.

Syria’s war began after security forces violently suppressed pro-democracy demonstrations during the 2011 Arab Spring. The conflict killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions.

Assad also faces legal action abroad. France has issued an arrest warrant against him in connection with the 2012 bombing of a press centre in Homs.

The death sentence represents a significant moment in Syria’s attempt to address crimes committed under the Assad government, although questions remain over whether the former president will ever return to Syria to face the judgment.