Bashar al-Assad sentenced to death by Syrian court for war crimes

A Syrian court has sentenced former president Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher to death in absentia over war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Syria's civil war.

The brothers fled to Moscow after Assad's government was toppled by a rebel offensive in December 2024, ending more than two decades of his rule.

According to The Guardian, the court convicted Assad of crimes including “premeditated and intentional murder of more than one person and of children” as well as “torture, arbitrary arrest and crimes against humanity”.

Maher al-Assad, who commanded Syria's feared fourth division and was a senior security figure under his brother, also received a death sentence.

The court said it would pursue international legal routes to prosecute the brothers. However, Russian authorities have previously rejected requests to extradite former Syrian officials.

Atef Najib, Assad's cousin and former political security chief in Daraa, was also sentenced to death.

Najib was linked to the torture of 15 boys detained after writing anti-Assad graffiti in 2011, an incident that helped trigger protests across Syria.

Syrian authorities have presented prosecutions of former regime officials as part of efforts to deliver transitional justice following Assad's fall.