Syria court sentences Bashar al-Assad, Maher al-Assad and Atef Najib to death in absentia

A Syrian court has sentenced ousted former president Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia, along with his brother Maher al-Assad and cousin Atef Najib, in a landmark case tied to the country's civil war. The Criminal Court in Damascus said the men were convicted of crimes including premeditated murder, torture and crimes against humanity. The ruling was delivered on Tuesday and is the first under Syria's transitional authorities against figures from the former government.

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The court said Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled in December 2024 and is now living in exile in Russia, was found guilty as the "highest decision-maker" who used state institutions to help carry out the crimes. Maher al-Assad, who is also in Russia, was sentenced to death in absentia for premeditated murder and torture. Atef Najib, the former head of political security in southern Syria's Deraa province, was sentenced to death after being convicted of crimes against humanity and appeared in court in a cage wearing a prisoner's uniform.

The case has particular resonance because Deraa is widely seen as the birthplace of the 2011 uprising against Assad's rule. The crackdown there, including the detention and alleged torture of teenagers accused of writing anti-government graffiti, helped trigger protests that spread across the country and escalated into a war that lasted nearly 14 years. Najib was detained by Syrian authorities in January last year, making him one of the highest-ranking former officials to face trial under the new authorities.

The ruling is significant because it marks an early test of Syria's transitional justice process after the collapse of the Assad dynasty. It also reflects the new authorities' effort to pursue accountability for alleged abuses committed during the conflict, including killings, torture and the use of state security structures. For many Syrians, the verdict is likely to be seen as a symbolic step, even though the practical reach of the court remains limited while Assad and Maher al-Assad remain outside the country.

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The proceedings also underline how the legacy of the 2011 crackdown continues to shape Syria's political and legal landscape. The court's findings link the former leadership directly to the early repression that helped ignite the uprising, and to the wider war that followed. The case is being watched as a possible precedent for other trials involving former officials and security figures from the Assad era.

What remains unclear is whether Syria's new authorities can secure the extradition of Bashar al-Assad from Moscow or enforce the sentence in any meaningful way. It is also not yet known how many further cases will follow, or how far the transitional authorities intend to extend the process. The ruling is likely to remain a key reference point for Syria's efforts to address wartime abuses and define the scope of accountability under its new order.

A Syrian court has sentenced ousted president Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia over crimes against humanity and war crimes linked to the country's 14-year conflict. The ruling was issued on Tuesday and also covered Atef Najib, Assad's maternal cousin, in the same case. It is the first such judgment announced under Syria's transitional authorities.

The court said the case concerned conduct during the civil war that left about half a million people dead. Najib was accused of leading the crackdown in the southern province of Daraa, where the early repression helped trigger the uprising that later escalated into full-scale war. During the hearing, Najib stood inside a cage in a prisoner's uniform as the judge read the sentence.

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Assad and his brother Maher fled to Russia after insurgents entered Damascus in December 2024. Najib was later detained and became one of the highest-ranking former officials to face trial. The ruling against Assad follows a broader effort by the transitional authorities this year to try figures from the former government, both in person and in absentia.

The decision carries legal and political significance because it marks a formal attempt by Syria's new authorities to address alleged abuses committed during the long conflict. It also places one of the country's most prominent former leaders at the centre of a transitional justice process that is still taking shape. For victims and families affected by the war, the case is likely to be seen as a major symbolic step, even though enforcement of the sentence remains uncertain.

The case also reflects the continuing legacy of the 2011 crackdown in Daraa, which became one of the defining flashpoints of the Syrian uprising. Najib's role in that period has made him a key figure in the proceedings, while Assad's absence underscores the limits of the court's reach after his flight to Russia. The trial is part of a wider effort by the transitional authorities to establish accountability for former officials after the collapse of Assad's rule in Damascus.

What remains unclear is how the sentence will be enforced, given that Assad is outside Syria. It is also not yet clear whether further high-profile cases will follow or how the transitional authorities will expand the process. The ruling is likely to be watched closely for signs of how Syria's new legal order handles crimes linked to the war and the former government.

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