Former Syria President Bashar al-Assad Sentenced to Death for War Crimes

A Syrian court has sentenced ousted former President Bashar al-Assad and his younger brother, Maher al-Assad, to death in absentia over crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during Syria’s 14-year conflict.

The verdict, delivered on Tuesday by the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus, marks the first death sentences handed down against Assad or members of his inner circle since the Assad family’s decades-long rule came to an end.

During the court session, which was broadcast live on Syrian state television, Judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan said Bashar al-Assad had used state institutions to carry out serious violations during the conflict.

“Bashar Assad used state agencies to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity,” the judge said while delivering the verdict.

Assad’s younger brother, Maher al-Assad, was also sentenced to death in absentia in the same case. Maher previously commanded Syria’s 4th Armored Division, an elite military unit that played a major role in the government’s response to opposition forces during the conflict.

Syrian opposition activists have accused the division of involvement in killings, torture, extortion and other abuses. It was also accused of operating detention facilities and becoming involved in illicit activities, including drug trafficking.

Also sentenced to death was Atef Najib, Assad’s maternal cousin and a former Syrian army brigadier general who headed the Political Security Branch in Daraa province in 2011.

Najib was convicted over his role in the security crackdown in Daraa, where protests against Assad’s government began before spreading across the country.

The case dates back to the early stages of the Syrian uprising, when a group of teenagers in Daraa were arrested and tortured after reportedly writing anti-government graffiti on a school wall.

The arrests and alleged torture became one of the catalysts for mass demonstrations against Assad’s government and its security forces.

The government’s response to the demonstrations was met with increasing violence, eventually transforming the uprising into a devastating civil war that lasted for more than a decade.

The conflict resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions of Syrians both within the country and abroad.

Najib was present in court when the sentence was announced. He reportedly stood inside a prisoner’s cage wearing a prison uniform as the judge read the verdict.

Security was tight around the courthouse in central Damascus, while a crowd gathered outside to hear the court’s decision.

Unlike Najib, Bashar and Maher al-Assad were not present during the proceedings.

The two brothers fled Syria following the collapse of the Assad government in December 2024 after a rapid rebel offensive brought an end to the family’s more than five decades in power.

Following their departure, Russia granted the Assads political asylum. Syria’s new authorities have since called on Moscow to hand the former president and his brother over to face justice.

The sentencing therefore comes at a significant moment for Syria, as the country’s new leadership attempts to address allegations of abuses committed during the Assad era.

Atef Najib, who was sanctioned by the United States Department of the Treasury in April 2011, is among the highest-ranking former Assad-era officials to face trial in Syria since the fall of the government.

His involvement in the Daraa crackdown has made him a significant figure in the prosecution of former members of the Assad security apparatus.

The Syrian conflict began with protests in 2011 as part of the wider wave of uprisings across the Arab world. What began as demonstrations against Assad’s government developed into a complex war involving government forces, opposition groups, extremist organisations and foreign military powers.

The war caused enormous destruction across Syria, with major cities and communities suffering extensive damage.

Millions of Syrians were also forced to flee their homes, creating one of the largest displacement crises in the modern world.

The fall of Assad in December 2024 brought the conflict’s central political chapter to an end, but questions surrounding accountability for alleged atrocities committed during the war have remained.

The death sentences announced in Damascus could therefore become an important test of how Syria’s new authorities intend to pursue justice against senior figures from the former regime.

However, because Bashar and Maher al-Assad are currently outside Syria, the sentences cannot immediately be carried out unless they are returned to Syrian custody.

The new Syrian authorities have repeatedly sought international cooperation in bringing former senior regime officials back to the country.

For many Syrians who suffered during the conflict, the court proceedings represent an opportunity to seek accountability for years of violence and repression.

For supporters and members of the former regime, however, the prosecutions are likely to remain highly controversial, particularly given the political transition and the circumstances surrounding the Assad family’s removal from power.

The latest verdict is nevertheless one of the strongest legal actions yet taken against the former Syrian leadership and could pave the way for further prosecutions of officials accused of abuses during the conflict.