Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sentenced to death over war crimes

Damascus: Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been sentenced to death in absentia by a criminal court in Damascus after being convicted of premeditated murder in connection with crimes committed during Syria’s 13-year civil war, according to reports.

Atef Najib, the former head of political security in Deraa province, was also sentenced to death after being found guilty of premeditated murder and torture.

The ruling marks the first death sentence issued against Assad by Syria’s transitional authorities, which have begun legal proceedings against senior figures associated with his former government, including those tried in absentia.

Assad held responsible for wartime crimes

The case against Assad relates to events during the Syrian civil war, with the charges reportedly including war crimes and crimes against humanity. Rights groups have long accused his government of widespread abuses, including torture, arbitrary detention and mass killings.

Assad ruled Syria for more than two decades after succeeding his father, Hafez al-Assad, in 2000. His presidency was dominated by the civil war that erupted in 2011 following a government crackdown on pro-democracy protests linked to the Arab Spring.

The conflict continued for more than 13 years, killing hundreds of thousands of people and displacing millions. Syria was also divided among various armed groups and foreign-backed forces.

Assad fled to Russia after fall of government

Assad was ousted in December 2024 after opposition forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched an offensive from Idlib and advanced towards Damascus. He fled Syria with his family and was later granted asylum in Russia.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose forces led the offensive, subsequently became the head of Syria’s transitional authorities. He pledged to hold accountable those responsible for atrocities committed during Assad’s rule.

Following his departure, Assad rejected claims that he had planned his escape or abandoned Damascus during the final stages of the fighting.

In a statement attributed to him and published on the Syrian presidency’s Telegram channel, Assad said he had remained in Damascus until the early hours of December 8, 2024.

He said he later travelled to a Russian military base in Latakia intending to oversee military operations. According to his account, after the military position became untenable, Moscow requested that the base command arrange his evacuation to Russia.

Evidence of alleged abuses

After the collapse of Assad’s government, opposition fighters and rights groups reported finding evidence of alleged torture, executions and other abuses at prisons that had held thousands of detainees.

Tens of thousands of Syrians believed to have been detained by the former government remain unaccounted for.

The death sentence against Assad represents a major judicial action by Syria’s transitional authorities against the former leadership. However, Assad remains in Russia and was tried in absentia.