A Syrian court on Tuesday sentenced the country’s ousted President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia, news agency AFP reported.
The court convicted Assad, who was ousted in December 2024, over charges of “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity” during the Syrian civil war. Assad fled with his family to Moscow as Islamist-led forces closed in on Damascus at the end of his rule.
The court also sentenced Atef Najib, the former head of political security in southern Syria’s Deraa province, to death. Najib, a cousin of Assad, was accused of overseeing the torture of detainees, including children, and of being responsible for multiple deaths during the conflict.
The ruling against Assad and Najib is the first under the transitional authorities, which began trying figures from the former government this year, both in person and in absentia.
Amid tight security, Najib stood inside a cage wearing a prisoner’s uniform as the judge read the sentence. He was detained and became one of the highest-ranking officials to be put on trial.