Bashar Al-Assad Sentenced to Death In Absentia for Crimes Against Humanity

Former Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and his brother, Maher Al-Assad, have been sentenced to death in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity, according to a report by state news agency SANA on Tuesday (11/8). The Syrian Supreme Court convicted Assad on charges including the deliberate killing of others, including children, as well as torture, kidnapping, and crimes against humanity. Bashar Al-Assad was found guilty of the charges and sentenced to death, SANA reported. The Syrian court handed down death sentences in absentia to eight individuals. Former head of political security in Daraa province, Atef Najib, was present in the courtroom when he received his death sentence. Maher Al-Assad previously headed the Fourth Division of the Syrian Arab Armed Forces during Bashar Al-Assad’s regime. In November 2024, armed Syrian opposition groups launched a major offensive against government forces and managed to enter Damascus on 8 December. Bashar Al-Assad subsequently resigned from the presidency and fled Syria.