A court in Syria has sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad to death for crimes committed during the country's civil war. The Criminal Court in Damascus on Tuesday found Mr al-Assad guilty of premeditated murder, according to Al Jazeera. This is the first court ruling against the former Syrian leader and any members of his inner circle since his rule ended in 2024. Mr al-Assad, who has been in exile, allegedly in Russia, since his exit from office, was sentenced in absentia.
Court Proceedings and Verdict
The judge, Fakhareddine al-Aryan, during a court session aired live on state TV, said, “Bashar Assad used state agencies to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity.” He was sentenced to death alongside his cousin, Ate Najib, the former head of political security in the Deraa province of Southern Syria. Mr Najib was convicted of premeditated murder and torture.
CNN reports that Mr Najib, who was detained after the fall of the Assad government and is one of the highest-ranking officials to be put on trial, stood inside a cage wearing a prisoner's uniform as the judge read the sentence. The court also found that crimes committed by Mr al-Assad's government in Deraa province in 2011 amounted to crimes against humanity.
Background of the Civil War
Syria is now governed by former rebel fighters who fought against Mr al-Assad's government. The rebels, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), ousted Mr al-Assad in December 2024, bringing his 24-year rule to an end, alongside the Assad family's decades-long dominance of Syria. During Mr al-Assad's rule, more than a dozen teenagers who scrawled anti-government graffiti on a school wall in Daraa were arrested and tortured in 2011. This led to mass protests against the repressive policies of the security forces, and a brutal government response that spiralled into a 14-year civil war.
Human Rights Violations and Aftermath
After the fall of the al-Assad government, efforts to hold top-ranking officers accountable for atrocities committed commenced. An investigation by Human Rights Watch documented systematic killings and torture of both children and adults by Syrian security forces in Deraa during the uprising. Some of the deadliest attacks documented by HRW include: an attack on al-Omari mosque, which led to the killing of more than 30 protesters in March 2011; the murders of at least 25 protesters in April 2011; and state-sanctioned killings of 34 protesters during a protest and a funeral procession in Izraa on April 22 and 23, 2011. During the siege of Daraa and neighbouring villages, about 200 people were killed.
After the rebels ousted the government, Mr al-Assad and his brother, Maher al-Assad, fled to Russia and received political asylum. The death sentence marks a significant step in Syria's transitional justice process, though its practical implementation remains uncertain given Mr al-Assad's exile.
