Former Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad Sentenced to Death in Absentia

A Syrian court has sentenced former president Bashar Al-Assad and his brother, Maher Al-Assad, to death in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity. The Supreme Court indicted Assad on counts related to the deliberate killing of individuals, including children, as well as torture, kidnapping, and crimes against humanity. Bashar Al-Assad was found guilty of the charges and sentenced to death. The court also handed down death sentences in absentia to eight other individuals. Former head of political security in Daraa province, Atef Najib, was present in the courtroom when he was sentenced to death. Maher Al-Assad previously headed the Fourth Division of the Syrian Arab Armed Forces during Bashar Al-Assad’s regime. In November 2024, Syrian armed opposition groups launched a major offensive against government forces and succeeded in entering Damascus on 8 December. Bashar Al-Assad subsequently resigned from the presidency and fled Syria.