Syria’s Long Pursuit Of Justice Ends With Death Sentence For Bashar al-Assad

A Syrian court on Tuesday sentenced ousted President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia after convicting him over charges linked to war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the country’s civil war. The ruling marks a major development in Syria’s efforts to prosecute senior figures from Assad’s former government following his ouster in December 2024. Assad was not present in court and remains outside Syria, having fled to Moscow with his family after Islamist-led forces advanced on Damascus and ended his rule.

The Damascus court also sentenced Atef Najib, Assad’s cousin and former head of political security in the southern province of Deraa, to death. Najib was accused of playing a central role in the repression of protests in Deraa at the beginning of the Syrian uprising in 2011. The charges against him include responsibility for killings, torture and arbitrary detention, including the detention and torture of children during the early stages of the conflict.

Najib was present in court and stood inside a cage wearing a prisoner’s uniform as the judge announced the sentence. He was arrested in January 2025 after the collapse of Assad’s government and became one of the most senior former officials to face trial in person under Syria’s transitional authorities. His case formed part of a wider judicial effort to hold former government figures accountable for alleged abuses committed during the years of conflict.

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The proceedings against Assad and other senior members of his former government began earlier this year, with Assad and his brother Maher al-Assad being tried in absentia. Syria’s transitional authorities opened public proceedings against prominent figures from the former regime in April, marking an important step in their stated efforts to pursue accountability for abuses committed during the civil war. The trials have been conducted under tight security as authorities attempt to establish legal responsibility for alleged atrocities committed over more than a decade.

Assad ruled Syria for nearly 24 years before his government collapsed in December 2024. His forces had been accused by international organisations and rights groups of widespread violations during the civil war, including unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detention and attacks affecting civilians. The prosecution of former regime officials has therefore become a central part of the transitional authorities’ efforts to address the legacy of the conflict. Human rights groups have welcomed the move towards accountability while continuing to stress the importance of fair-trial standards and transparent judicial procedures.

The death sentence against Assad, however, is unlikely to result in his immediate detention or execution because he was tried in absentia and is believed to remain in Russia. Under Syrian legal procedures, an in-absentia judgment can be affected if the convicted person is arrested or surrenders, with provisions allowing for a retrial. The ruling nevertheless carries significant political and symbolic weight, representing the transitional authorities’ determination to pursue the former leadership over alleged crimes committed during the civil war.

The sentencing of Assad and Najib is the latest development in a broader process of transitional justice in Syria. Authorities have begun pursuing former officials and security figures accused of serious abuses, while investigations into other members of the former government continue. The cases are being closely watched both inside Syria and internationally because they could shape how the country addresses alleged crimes committed during the conflict and how its new institutions approach accountability for senior figures from the Assad era.

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