Syrian court sentences Bashar al-Assad and Atef Najib to death
Al Jazeera
•Tue, 11 Aug 2026 17:59:50 +0000
📰 What Happened
A Syrian court in Damascus sentenced ousted President Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher al-Assad, and cousin Atef Najib to death after convicting them of crimes against humanity during Syria’s nearly 14-year civil war. The verdicts were issued in absentia.
🔍 The Backstory
Assad ruled Syria for decades before being ousted amid a long and brutal civil war marked by widespread allegations of mass killings, torture and detention. The new Syrian authorities have sought to hold former regime figures accountable for crimes against humanity.
🎯 Why It Matters
The death sentences mark a landmark effort to hold the Assad family personally accountable for war crimes, though their in-absentia nature and doubts about enforcement raise questions about the practical reach of the country’s emerging transitional-justice system.
A Syrian court in Damascus sentenced ousted President Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher al-Assad, and cousin Atef Najib to death after convicting them of crimes against humanity during Syria’s nearly 14-year civil war. The verdicts were issued in absentia.
Assad ruled Syria for decades before being ousted amid a long and brutal civil war marked by widespread allegations of mass killings, torture and detention. The new Syrian authorities have sought to hold former regime figures accountable for crimes against humanity.
The death sentences mark a landmark effort to hold the Assad family personally accountable for war crimes, though their in-absentia nature and doubts about enforcement raise questions about the practical reach of the country’s emerging transitional-justice system.