Syria’s ousted president Bashar al-Assad and Atef Najib, the former head of political security in southern Syria’s Deraa province, have been sentenced to death by a criminal court in Damascus.
The Damascus court found Assad guilty of premeditated murder, while Najib was convicted of premeditated murder and torture. Bashar al-Assad was sentenced in absentia after being convicted over charges relating to war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Syria’s civil war.
The ruling is the first death sentence handed down against Assad by Syria’s transitional authorities, who began prosecuting figures from the former government this year, both in person and in absentia.
Bashar al-Assad fled Syria with his family for Moscow in December 2024, as Islamist-led forces advanced on Damascus, bringing an end to his nearly 24-year rule. The verdict marks a significant development in efforts by the transitional authorities to hold members of the former government accountable for alleged crimes committed during the conflict.
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