Syrian court hands death penalty to former President Bashar al‑Assad in absentia.
In a historic decision, the Damascus High Court convicted the ousted monarch for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the civil war. He was sentenced to death despite fleeing to Moscow following the fall of his regime in December 2024.
Assad’s cousin, Atef Najib – the ex‑head of political security in the Deraa province, the birthplace of the revolution – was also condemned to death. The judge read his sentence while Najib, in a striped prison uniform, sat in a cage in the courtroom, underscoring the severity of the verdict.
Deraa saw the spark of nationwide protests after a crackdown on teenagers who allegedly wrote anti‑government graffiti in March 2011. The protest quickly escalated into a full‑scale civil war, costing hundreds of thousands of lives.
Besides Najib, the court handed death sentences to six former security and military officials, including Maher al‑Assad – Bashar’s younger brother who commanded the elite Fourth Division – and former defence minister Fahd al‑Freij. They also departed for Russia when the regime collapsed.
Outside the courthouse, crowds of diverse ages gathered with photographs of murdered relatives. Citizens clapped, chanted, passed flags and voiced hope that Bashar and his aides would be executed. One mournful man said, “The joy is indescribable. God willing we will see Assad on the gallows.” Another woman described the emotions as “victory and liberation.”
Prosecutor Nouha al‑Masri, whose brother was killed during the Deraa crackdown, emphasised that the conviction is not the end: “Our demand is that this not be the end of the trials… In the new Syria, there will be no impunity from this day forward.”
While the death sentences mark a turning point, it remains unclear whether Syrian authorities can extradite Bashar or Maher from Russia or secure their execution. The new government’s arrest warrant issued in December for Assad remains a reminder that the decree does not guarantee that either party will be brought to justice.
