DAMASCUS, August 11, 2026 — A Syrian criminal court on Tuesday sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for crimes including premeditated murder, torture, arbitrary detention, and crimes against humanity.
The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus also imposed the death penalty on Assad’s brother Maher al-Assad (tried in absentia) and on Atef Najib, a former senior security official and Assad’s first cousin, who appeared in person. The court ordered international pursuit of Bashar and Maher al-Assad.
Presiding Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan stated that investigations and witness testimony established Assad’s responsibility as the highest decision-maker who directed state agencies to commit the offenses. The court specifically cited premeditated killings of multiple people, including children.
Najib, former head of the Political Security Branch in Daraa, was convicted for his role in interrogating detainees and leading security operations against civilians after protests erupted in the southern city in 2011—the events widely regarded as the spark of the Syrian uprising.
Assad fled to Russia with his family in December 2024 as opposition forces advanced on Damascus and toppled his government. He has remained there under Russian protection. The verdict is among the first major rulings by Syria’s transitional authorities against senior figures from the former regime.
The death sentences carry strong symbolic weight for victims’ families and supporters of accountability, though enforcement against Assad and his brother remains practically limited while they stay outside Syrian jurisdiction.
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