A Syrian court has sentenced ousted President Bashar al-Assad and his younger brother, Maher, to death in absentia for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Their cousin, Atef Najib, who attended the trial in a cage, was also sentenced to death after being found guilty of leading the 2011 Daraa crackdown that sparked the civil war.
The convictions stem from atrocities committed during the country's nearly 14-year civil war, which left approximately half a million people dead. The former president was convicted of crimes including premeditated murder, torture, and arbitrary arrest.
The ruling follows a lightning rebel offensive in December 2024 that toppled the dictatorial regime in just 11 days. Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher fled to Moscow, where they currently remain.