Bashar al-Assad sentenced to death in absentia over crimes against humanity

The landmark verdict is the first major domestic conviction against Assad since his regime collapsed in December 2024

August 12, 2026

The former Syrian president was convicted of premeditated murder, torture and crimes against humanity committed during the country’s civil war

Syria court sentences Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia

Syria’s former president Bashar al-Assad has been sentenced to death in absentia by a court in Damascus for crimes committed during the country’s nearly 14-year civil war.

The landmark verdict, delivered on August 11, marks the first major domestic conviction against Assad since his regime was toppled in December 2024. He was convicted of premeditated murder, torture and crimes against humanity.

Assad is currently living in exile in Russia after fleeing Syria following the rebel offensive that brought his 24-year rule to an end.

Assad sentenced in absentia

The Damascus court handed down the death sentence against Assad without him being present for the proceedings. His younger brother, Maher al-Assad, was also sentenced to death in absentia.

The case relates to abuses allegedly committed during the crackdown on opponents and civilians throughout Syria’s civil war, including killings, torture and arbitrary detention.

The conflict began in 2011 after security forces violently suppressed anti-government protests before escalating into a devastating multi-sided war.

Atef Najib also gets death sentence

Assad’s cousin, Atef Najib, was also sentenced to death. Unlike Assad and Maher, Najib appeared in court and was tried in person.

Najib, a former political security chief in Daraa, was accused of playing a key role in the early crackdown on protesters in the city in 2011. The detention and alleged torture of teenagers in Daraa became one of the flashpoints that helped trigger the nationwide uprising.

The court convicted Najib of premeditated murder and torture.

Assad remains in Russia

The death sentence is unlikely to lead to Assad’s immediate arrest or execution because he remains in Russia, where he was granted asylum after the fall of his government.

The verdict therefore presents a major challenge for Syria’s transitional authorities, who would need Russian cooperation to bring the former president back to the country.

The case nevertheless represents a significant step in the new Syrian government’s efforts to hold senior figures from the former regime accountable.

A landmark verdict after years of war

Assad ruled Syria from 2000 until his ouster in December 2024, succeeding his father, Hafez al-Assad.

His government’s violent response to the 2011 uprising eventually plunged the country into a prolonged civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions.

The latest verdict has been presented by Syria’s transitional authorities as part of a broader effort to pursue justice for victims of the former regime. However, critics have questioned whether a death sentence issued in absentia can realistically deliver accountability while Assad remains under Russian protection.

The ruling also comes as Syria continues to grapple with the legacy of the Assad era, including thousands of unresolved cases involving killings, disappearances, torture and arbitrary detention.

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