A court in Damascus on Tuesday sentenced former Syrian president Bashar al‑Assad to death in absentia after finding him guilty of a catalogue of offences including crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during Syria’s 14‑year civil war.
Judge Fakhr al‑Din al‑Aryan at the Fourth Criminal Court convicted Assad of premeditated murder, torture, arbitrary arrest and related offences, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA. The judge said Assad, as the country’s highest decision‑maker during the conflict, had used state institutions to facilitate systematic abuses against the civilian population.
Convictions, defendants and sentences
The trial, which began in April under Syria’s transitional authorities that seized power after Assad’s departure from the country in December 2024, resulted in multiple death sentences.
- Bashar al‑Assad — sentenced to death in absentia for premeditated murder, torture and crimes against humanity.
- Maher al‑Assad — the president’s younger brother, sentenced to death in absentia on similar charges.
- Atef Najib — a cousin of Assad and former head of political security in Daraa, sentenced to death; Najib was arrested in January 2025 and was the only defendant to appear in court.
- Six other former officials — identified by the court as Fahd Jassim al‑Freij, Muhammad Ayman Ayash, Louay Ali al‑Ali, Qusay Ibrahim Mahyoub, Wafiq Saleh Nasser and Talal Faris al‑Assimi — were also each sentenced to death in absentia.
| Defendant | Status | Charges |
|---|---|---|
| Bashar al‑Assad | In absentia | Premeditated murder; torture; arbitrary arrest; crimes against humanity; war crimes |
| Maher al‑Assad | In absentia | Premeditated murder; torture; war crimes |
| Atef Najib | In custody | Murder; torture leading to death; crimes against humanity |
Context and significance
The decision is the first of its kind under the transitional government that took power after the swift rebel advance in December 2024 led to Assad’s exit to Russia. Prosecutors and state officials have framed the proceedings as a component of a broader effort to deliver accountability for abuses committed during the uprising that began in 2011 and later escalated into full‑scale civil war.
State media said the head of the National Transitional Justice Authority, Abdel Basset Abdel Latif, welcomed the verdict as part of steps to hold those responsible for crimes under the previous regime to account. The court’s findings refer to a pattern of systematic violence, including the intentional killing of civilians and the ill‑treatment of detainees, attributed to senior figures in the former administration and security services.
"He is therefore sentenced to death,"
The quoted remark came in the courtroom as the judge announced the penalties. At least one defendant, Najib, was physically present and was found guilty of offences that the court categorised as crimes against humanity for acts committed while he served as head of political security in Daraa, the southern province where anti‑regime protests erupted in 2011.
Legal and political implications
While the verdicts are symbolically significant for advocates of transitional justice who have sought formal acknowledgment of abuses, practical and legal obstacles remain. The principal figures sentenced in absentia, including the former president and his brother, are reported to be outside Syria. Enforcement of death sentences will depend on the ability of the transitional authorities to secure custody, and on the international legal response.
The court’s rulings come amid a wider campaign by the transitional government to detain and prosecute individuals linked to the former regime; state media have reported a series of arrests of former officials and senior officers. Observers of Syria’s post‑conflict transition will watch whether the verdicts mark the start of sustained accountability or chiefly serve as a domestic assertion of justice by the new authorities.
The rulings add a new chapter to a conflict that has caused extensive civilian suffering, large‑scale displacement and long‑term disruption across the region, and will likely shape diplomatic and legal conversations about accountability in the months ahead.
