DAMASCUS, Syria, Aug. 11, 2026 — A Syrian court has sentenced ousted President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for killings, torture, arbitrary arrests and crimes against humanity committed during the country’s nearly 14-year civil war, marking the first conviction against the former leader since his regime collapsed in December 2024.
The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus also sentenced Assad’s younger brother, Maher al-Assad, and former security official Atef Najib to death in the same case. Najib, who was arrested in Syria in early 2025, was the only one of the three tried in person.
According to Reuters, the court convicted Bashar al-Assad of the premeditated and intentional murder of multiple people, including children, as well as torture, arbitrary arrest and crimes against humanity. Judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan said Assad had used state institutions to facilitate the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The ruling followed a trial lasting nearly four months and was presented by Syria’s new Islamist-led authorities as part of an effort to establish transitional justice after decades of Assad family rule. It is the first Syrian conviction against Assad or members of his inner circle since the fall of his government.
Assad and Maher fled Syria after rebel forces captured Damascus in December 2024. Russia granted the two brothers and their families asylum on humanitarian grounds. Syria’s new authorities have asked Moscow to hand them over, but Assad’s lawyer said extradition was unlikely.
The death sentence has also raised questions over whether it could make it more difficult for Syria to secure Assad’s return. Anwar al-Bunni, head of the Syrian Centre for Legal Studies and Research, told Reuters that countries generally do not extradite defendants to jurisdictions where they could face execution. He described the ruling as “performative justice” rather than transitional justice.
The case against Najib is closely tied to the origins of Syria’s uprising. Najib, a former head of the Political Security Branch in Daraa province and a cousin of the Assad family, was convicted over his role in the violent suppression of protests there in 2011. The crackdown followed the arrest and torture of teenagers who had written anti-government graffiti and became a major catalyst for the protests that eventually developed into a nationwide civil war.
Maher al-Assad, who commanded the Syrian military’s Fourth Armored Division, was also sentenced in absentia. The unit played a major role in suppressing opposition during the conflict and has been accused by Syrian opposition activists of killings, torture, extortion and operating detention facilities.
The verdict was met with celebrations in Damascus and Daraa, the southern city where the 2011 uprising began. Crowds gathered outside the Damascus courthouse, while people in Daraa carried photographs of relatives and other Syrians who were arrested or killed during the conflict. Reuters reported that some demonstrators displayed images of Hamza al-Khatib, a 13-year-old boy whose death after being detained became a symbol of the government’s crackdown.
For many victims and their families, the ruling represents a significant step toward accountability. At the same time, human rights groups and legal experts have raised concerns about the use of the death penalty and the fairness and long-term effectiveness of the proceedings. AP reported that Human Rights Watch recognized the symbolic importance of the verdict while maintaining its opposition to capital punishment and emphasizing the need for fair trials.
Assad ruled Syria from 2000 until his ouster in December 2024, succeeding his father, Hafez al-Assad, who had ruled the country for nearly three decades. The younger Assad’s government responded to the 2011 protests with a military crackdown that developed into a prolonged conflict involving Syrian government forces, opposition groups and foreign powers. The war killed about half a million people, according to AP.
The former Syrian president also faces legal action abroad. France has issued an arrest warrant for Assad over the alleged bombing of a press center in Homs in 2012.
The death sentence is therefore unlikely to end the broader legal pursuit of accountability for crimes committed during Assad’s rule. Instead, it opens a new chapter in Syria’s difficult transition, with the country now facing the challenge of balancing demands for justice from victims with legal standards governing fair trials, extradition and capital punishment.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
