Bashar al-Assad has been sentenced to death by a Syrian court after a trial in absentia over killings, torture, arbitrary arrests and crimes against humanity committed during Syria’s nearly 14-year war.
The verdict marks the first conviction against Assad since rebels removed him from power in December 2024. The conflict killed hundreds of thousands of Syrians and forced millions from their homes.
Assad fled Damascus as rebel forces advanced on the capital. He later went to Moscow, where he remains.
Court lists charges against Assad
A judge issued the death sentence on Tuesday during proceedings involving former government officials.
The court convicted Assad of premeditated and intentional murder involving multiple people and children. It also found him guilty of torture, arbitrary detention and crimes against humanity.
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Atef Najib, a former security official under Assad, also received a death sentence.
The court’s ruling represents a major legal development following the collapse of Assad’s government.
Assad’s decades in power
Assad, born in 1965, became president in 2000 after the death of his father, Hafez al-Assad.
He continued his family’s decades-long rule and maintained the political dominance of Syria’s Alawite minority in the predominantly Sunni Muslim country.
His government also maintained close ties with Iran and pursued a foreign policy hostile to Israel and the United States.
The Syrian conflict began in 2011 after protests against Assad’s government. It later developed into a complex war involving Syrian opposition groups, extremist organisations and foreign powers.
The fighting caused widespread destruction and resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths.
Assad’s removal in December 2024 ended his family’s long rule over Syria and opened a new political chapter for the country.
