The Criminal Court in Damascus today sentenced former president Bashar al-Assad and his maternal cousin, Atef Najib, to death in absentia. The ruling came on charges of "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity" for their roles in the 2011 crackdown in Deraa province, which ignited Syria's 14-year civil war.

The court found that actions by the Assad regime in Deraa province, southern Syria, in 2011 constituted "crimes against humanity". Additionally, Assad's brother, Maher al-Assad, received a death sentence in absentia for premeditated murder and torture. Both Bashar and Maher al-Assad are currently living in exile in Russia, where President Vladimir Putin granted the former president asylum after he resigned on 8/12/2024 as rebel forces advanced on Damascus. Najib was arrested in 1/2025.

President Bashar al-Assad speaking in Damascus, Syria, in 2020. Photo: AFP

This marks the first significant ruling by the transitional government established after Assad's overthrow. The new government has begun prosecuting former regime officials, whether present or in absentia. Atef Najib, a former Syrian army general, was a central figure in the crackdown. As head of political security in Deraa province under Assad, he directed the operations that triggered the uprising, which then escalated into a civil war that has claimed about half a million lives and displaced millions of people.

Atef Najib at the court in Damascus on 10/5. Photo: AFP

During the heavily secured trial in Damascus, Najib appeared in a prisoner's uniform, seated within an iron cage. He is among the highest-ranking former officials of the Assad regime to face such a trial.

Huyen Le (According to AFP, Al Jazeera, Euronews)