Syria sentences ousted president Bashar Al Assad to death in absentia
Criminal court also hands death sentences to Maher Al Assad and former officials
Dubai: A Syrian court on Tuesday sentenced former President Bashar Al Assad to death in absentia, alongside his brother Maher and former senior security official Atef Najib, in a landmark case linked to the violent crackdown during Syria’s 2011 uprising.
The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus handed down the sentences after a trial involving Najib, the former head of political security in the southern province of Daraa, and other defendants, some of whom were tried in absentia.
Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.
Najib, a cousin of Bashar Al Assad, faced charges including murder, torture and arbitrary detention stemming from the suppression of protests in Daraa in 2011. He was also accused in connection with the arrest and torture of children whose detention helped ignite demonstrations that developed into the nationwide uprising.
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Najib, Bashar al-Assad, Maher al-Assad and other defendants during a hearing last week, citing accusations that included crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Najib was arrested by Syria’s new authorities in January 2025 after the collapse of Assad’s government in December 2024. His public trial began at the Palace of Justice in Damascus in April 2026.
Tuesday’s ruling marks one of the most significant judicial proceedings against senior figures from the former Syrian government since Assad was ousted.
