Syrian Court Sentences Assad to Death for War Crimes

A Syrian court has sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher al-Assad, and cousin Atef Najib to death for crimes against humanity and war crimes during Syria's civil war. The verdicts, delivered by the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus on Tuesday, are the first under the transitional authorities who began trying figures from the former government this year.

The court found Bashar al-Assad guilty of premeditated murder, torture, arbitrary detention and crimes against humanity, sentencing him to death in absentia. He was toppled in December 2024 and now lives in exile in Russia. His brother Maher was also sentenced to death in absentia for similar charges.

Atef Najib, the former head of political security in southern Syria's Deraa province, was detained by Syrian authorities last January and sentenced to death for 'crimes against humanity'. He oversaw a violent crackdown on protesters in Deraa in 2011 that led to the uprising and later civil war. Najib stood inside a cage wearing a prisoner’s uniform as the judge read the sentence, showing no remorse.

The sentences were handed down by Syria's most senior judge, prosecuted by the attorney-general and the Commission for Transitional Justice in the presence of victims' families and international human rights groups. Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryran stated that Assad was convicted as he was the ultimate decision-maker.

In addition to Bashar and Maher al-Assad, Defense Minister Fahd Jassem al-Freij, Mohammad Ayman Ayoush, Louay Ali al-Ali, Qusay Ibrahim Mahyoub, Wafiq Saleh Nasser and Talal Fares al-Aysami were also sentenced to death. Najib was specifically convicted of murder including 'the intentional killing of children under 15' and 'torture leading to death'.

The ruling has been seen as a historic moment for Syria, with many Syrians expressing relief and hope for justice. The verdict is expected to set a strong legal precedent for other accused officials from the al-Assad era. However, Moscow has refused to extradite Bashar al-Assad, who it has granted asylum.

Meanwhile, Lebanon has detained a former Syrian army general, Adel Issa, who served under al-Assad. Lebanese authorities are considering whether to hand him over to Syria to face accusations tied to his military service. This would mark the first such transfer since al-Assad's government collapsed in December 2024.

During Najib’s tenure as head of the Political Security Branch in Deraa, more than a dozen teenagers who scrawled anti-government graffiti on a school wall were arrested and tortured. This case became a catalyst for mass protests against Assad's repressive policies, which escalated into Syria's 14-year civil war.

Victims of Najib’s crackdown expressed satisfaction with the sentence. Mouawiya Sayasneh, who was a teenager during the 2011 protests, stated that 'today we reached a point where the blood was not wasted.' Nayef Abazeid, detained at age 13 in 2011, said his greatest happiness would be when Bashar Assad is executed.

Human Rights Watch has expressed opposition to the death penalty in this case, citing concerns about fairness and irreversibility. Hiba Zayadin of Human Rights Watch emphasized that real accountability for Assad-era crimes depends on Syria building a lasting justice system.