A Syrian court has sentenced former president Bashar Assad and his younger brother Maher to death, handing down the ruling in absentia on August 11 over crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during Syria's devastating 14-year conflict.
The case centres on the brutal suppression of protests that ignited the Syrian civil war, a conflict that left roughly half a million people dead. Both Bashar and Maher fled to Russia after opposition fighters swept into Damascus in December 2014.
Court Delivers Death Sentences to Assad Brothers and Cousin
According to AP, Assad's maternal cousin, Atef Najib, also received a death sentence in the same proceedings. Unlike the Assad brothers, Najib was present in the courtroom, standing inside a cage dressed in a prisoner's uniform as the judge delivered the verdict. He is among the highest-ranking Syrian officials to face trial in connection with the war.
Security at the court was described as tight during the session in which the sentences were announced.
Najib's Role in the Daraa Crackdown
Najib's role in the case is significant. As a former brigadier general in the Syrian army, he served as head of the Political Security Branch in the southern province of Daraa in 2011. The court found that he directed the crackdown on demonstrators in that region, a campaign widely regarded as the trigger for the broader uprising that eventually engulfed the country.
Neither Bashar nor Maher Assad was present to hear the verdict. The two brothers have remained in Russia since fleeing Syria following the fall of Damascus. Najib, however, was detained at some point after the conflict and has since become a central figure in efforts to hold senior regime figures accountable for atrocities carried out during the war.
Significance of the Verdict
The death sentences mark one of the most significant legal actions taken against individuals directly associated with the former Assad government since the end of active conflict in Syria.
Legit.ng earlier reported that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has disclosed that his government is in active talks to reach a security agreement with Israel, with the involvement of multiple countries, and that he hopes such a deal could open the door to a wider peace settlement. Al-Sharaa made the comments in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera's Al Muqabala programme, with the full broadcast scheduled for 19:00 GMT.
