Syria's Ex-President Bashar Al-Assad Sentenced To Death For Crimes Against Humanity

The ruling against Assad is the first under the transitional authorities who this year began trying figures from the former government, both in person and in absentia.

11 Aug 2026, 08:47 · NDTV

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Syrian court sentenced ex-president Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for war crimes
Assad's brother also received the death sentence from the Syrian court
This is the first ruling under Syria's new transitional authorities in 2025

What happens to the government officials remaining in Syria?
Damascus:

Syria's ex-president Bashar al-Assad has been sentenced to death in absentia by a Syrian court following a conviction over charges related to "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity" during Syria's 14-year conflict that left about half a million people dead. His younger brother Maher al-Assad, former leader in the Syrian military, has also been awarded the death sentence.

Also sentenced to death in the same case was Assad's maternal cousin Atef Najib-- a former Syrian army brigadier general who was head of the Political Security Branch in southern Syria's Daraa province under Assad in 2011-- for leading the crackdown in the southern province of Daraa that led to the uprising and later the civil war.

The court ruled that Najib carried out "the intentional killing of children under 15", and "torture leading to death". The acts attributed to him are "crimes against humanity", the court said as it handed down "the harshest punishment against him, which is the death penalty".

Trial In Absentia

The ruling against Assad and his family members is the first under the transitional authorities who this year began trying figures from the former government, both in person and in absentia.

The former ruler fled Syria with his family members, including his brother, to Moscow as Islamist-led forces closed in on Damascus in December 2024.

Najib was, meanwhile, later detained and became one of the highest-ranking officials to be put on trial.

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