A Syrian court has sentenced deposed President Bashar al-Assad and his younger brother Maher to death in absentia over crimes committed during the country’s 14-year civil war. The ruling was issued Tuesday by the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus, marking the first death sentences against Assad or members of his inner circle since the Assad family’s five-decade rule ended in December 2024.
“Bashar Assad used state agencies to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity,” Judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan said during a court session broadcast live on state television, per the Associated Press.
Assad and Maher fled Syria after the collapse of their government, and were granted political asylum in Russia. Syria’s new authorities have called on Moscow to hand the brothers over. Also sentenced to death was Atef Najib, Assad’s maternal cousin and a former Syrian army brigadier general who headed the Political Security Branch in the southern province of Daraa in 2011.
Najib was convicted over his role in the crackdown in Daraa that helped trigger the uprising against Assad. He was later detained and has become one of the most senior former Assad officials to face trial since the regime fell.
During Najib’s time overseeing security in Daraa, more than a dozen teenagers were arrested and tortured after writing anti-government graffiti on a school wall. The incident became a major catalyst for protests against Assad’s government and its security forces.
Those demonstrations were met with a massive government crackdown that eventually turned into a civil war lasting 14 years. About half a million people were killed during the conflict.
Najib appeared in court wearing a prison uniform and stood inside a cage as the verdict was read. Tight security was in place around the courthouse, while crowds gathered outside in central Damascus to hear the ruling. Najib had previously been sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury in April 2011 over his role in the Syrian government’s repression.
Maher Assad previously commanded the Syrian military’s 4th Armored Division. Syrian opposition activists have accused the division of killings, torture, extortion and drug trafficking, as well as operating detention facilities. The death sentences were issued while both Bashar and Maher remain outside Syria, meaning the ruling cannot immediately be carried out.
The regime, though brutal, was also known for its protection of religious minorities. Reports have since come out of the country that the country's Christian minority has come under ferocious attack.
“Bashar Assad used state agencies to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity,” Judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan said during a court session broadcast live on state television, per the Associated Press.
Assad and Maher fled Syria after the collapse of their government, and were granted political asylum in Russia. Syria’s new authorities have called on Moscow to hand the brothers over. Also sentenced to death was Atef Najib, Assad’s maternal cousin and a former Syrian army brigadier general who headed the Political Security Branch in the southern province of Daraa in 2011.
Najib was convicted over his role in the crackdown in Daraa that helped trigger the uprising against Assad. He was later detained and has become one of the most senior former Assad officials to face trial since the regime fell.
During Najib’s time overseeing security in Daraa, more than a dozen teenagers were arrested and tortured after writing anti-government graffiti on a school wall. The incident became a major catalyst for protests against Assad’s government and its security forces.
Those demonstrations were met with a massive government crackdown that eventually turned into a civil war lasting 14 years. About half a million people were killed during the conflict.
Najib appeared in court wearing a prison uniform and stood inside a cage as the verdict was read. Tight security was in place around the courthouse, while crowds gathered outside in central Damascus to hear the ruling. Najib had previously been sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury in April 2011 over his role in the Syrian government’s repression.
Maher Assad previously commanded the Syrian military’s 4th Armored Division. Syrian opposition activists have accused the division of killings, torture, extortion and drug trafficking, as well as operating detention facilities. The death sentences were issued while both Bashar and Maher remain outside Syria, meaning the ruling cannot immediately be carried out.
The regime, though brutal, was also known for its protection of religious minorities. Reports have since come out of the country that the country's Christian minority has come under ferocious attack.
