Former Syrian President Assad sentenced to death in absentia for war
crimes
[August 12, 2026]
By GHAITH ALSAYED and SAMAR KASSABALI
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — A Syrian court on Tuesday sentenced ousted
President Bashar Assad and his brother in absentia for murder, torture
and crimes against humanity committed before and during the country's
14-year civil war that left about half a million people dead.
The verdicts by a court in Damascus are the first against Assad or any
members of his inner circle since his family's five decades in power
came to an end 20 months ago. They are mostly symbolic, however, because
Assad and his brother Maher had fled to Russia, where they received
asylum after the Syrian government’s stunning collapse in December 2024.
Six other former officials were also sentenced to death in absentia. The
only former official sentenced to death and in custody is Assad’s
maternal cousin Atef Najib, who oversaw a crackdown on dissent that led
to an uprising that sparked the civil war. Najib stood inside a cage
wearing a prisoner’s uniform as the judge read his sentence aloud, and a
crowd gathered outside the heavily guarded courthouse.
Even though Assad is unlikely to ever face justice, the verdicts will be
popular among many Syrians, especially those who have expressed
frustration that the new government hasn’t moved with enough speed or
strength against Assad-era figures.
Some human rights groups, though, expressed concerns that the trials
were rushed, potentially unfair and, at the very least, exposed flaws in
Syria's justice system.
“Bashar Assad used state agencies to commit war crimes and crimes
against humanity,” said judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan during a court
session that was aired live on state TV — a contrast with Assad-era
trials, which were conducted in secret. The verdicts al-Aryan read aloud
found Assad and the others guilty of premeditated murder, including
against children, as well as other acts of brutality, including torture.
Al-Aryan said Najib could appeal.
“Today is the day of justice for all the wounded, martyrs, detainees and
Syrians who were forced to leave their country,” said attorney Adnan al-Masalmeh
who represented families of Najib's victims. “Today marks a victory of
right against injustice, a victory of the Syrian people against the
ousted regime.”
Najib is one of the highest-ranking security officials to be put on
trial. He is a former army brigadier general who was in charge of
political security in Syria’s southern Daraa province.
During his tenure, more than a dozen teenagers who scrawled
anti-government graffiti on a school wall were arrested and tortured.
The case became a catalyst for mass protests against the repressive
policies of Assad’s security forces.
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The protests were met by a brutal government crackdown in 2011 that
spiraled into the civil war that ended with Assad’s ouster in a
lightning rebel offensive.
Some of Najib's victims were present at the courthouse, including
two who were teenagers in 2011 and expressed their opinions to The
Associated Press.
“Today we reached a point where the blood was not wasted,” said
Mouawiya Sayasneh, about those who died in the crackdown. Fifteen
years later, “there is happiness that Atef Najib was sentenced to
death,” he said.
Another man, Nayef Abazeid, who was detained at the age of 13 in
2011, expressed his satisfaction with the sentence, adding that “our
biggest happiness will be when Bashar Assad is executed.”
Maher Assad was a former commander of the Syrian military’s 4th
Armored Division — which opposition activists have accused of
killings, torture, extortion and drug trafficking, in addition to
running its own detention centers.
“Today’s scenes outside the courthouse reflect 15 years of pain and
a justice long denied," said Hiba Zayadin, Syria researcher at Human
Rights Watch. She said the rights group opposes the death penalty in
all cases, including this one, because "it’s cruel and irreversible,
especially when a fair trial isn’t guaranteed.”
She said the appeal process for Najib “needs to meet fair trial
standards.” Real accountability for Assad-era crimes depends on
Syria building a justice system that lasts, she said.
The Washington-based Syria Justice and Accountability Center
described Tuesday’s conviction of Najib as a “historical step in
Syria’s transitional period,” but said it exposed major flaws in the
justice system which likely jeopardized his right to a fair trial.
It said that SJAC’s trial monitoring team attended Najib’s trial and
documented multiple issues such as rushed proceedings and witness
testimony that did not connect Atef to the crimes he was charged
with. SJAC said Najib’s lawyer “lacked the capacity and willingness
to meaningfully engage with the case or mount an adequate defense.”
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Associated Press writers Kareem Chehayeb and Bassem Mroue
contributed to this report from Beirut.
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