DAMASCUS, August 11. /Dunyo IA/.  A Damascus court sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia, convicting him of murder, torture, unlawful detention and crimes against humanity committed during his nearly 14-year rule, reports Dunyo IA correspondent, citing with the “Al Arabiya” portal.

Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan of the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus said that the former president’s responsibility was linked, among other things, to his position as the highest-ranking official responsible for state decisions and his role in directing structures involved in violations during the conflict.

This is the first ruling by a Syrian court against Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted in December 2024 following a swift rebel offensive that brought an end to his family’s decades-long rule.

After the verdict was announced, residents gathered outside the court in Damascus, chanting slogans, applauding and waving Syrian flags. Celebrations also took place in the city of Daraa. People carried photographs of those killed and detained during the war.

The court also sentenced Bashar al-Assad’s younger brother, Maher al-Assad, to death in absentia. He headed the Fourth Armoured Division, which took part in the crackdown on protests and the recapture of territory under government control. He was also accused of organizing the production and trafficking of drugs.

Former security official Atif Najib received the same sentence. He was a cousin of the Assad family and headed security forces in Daraa province, where the first protests against the president began in 2011. Atif Najib was detained in early 2025 and became the only defendant to be personally present at the trial.

Trial lasted nearly four months. Syria’s new authorities portrayed the proceedings as part of transitional justice and an attempt by the country to break with the legacy of the Assad regime.

However, human rights activists say the death sentence could complicate the extradition of Bashar al-Assad and other suspects to Syria. They say countries will not extradite suspects to a country where they face the death penalty.

Bashar al-Assad was born in 1965 and became president of Syria in 2000 following the death of his father, Hafez al-Assad. His rule was marked by the continued grip of his family on power and the influence of the Alawite minority. In 2011, mass protests demanding democratic reforms escalated into a war following a brutal crackdown on demonstrations by security forces. Despite losing significant territory in the early years of the conflict, Bashar al-Assad remained in power until the end of 2024.

Rebels led by Syria’s current president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, launched a swift offensive in late 2024 that lasted less than two weeks and culminated in the fall of the regime.

Following his ouster, Bashar al-Assad fled Damascus and, together with his family, was granted asylum in Russia on humanitarian grounds.

Photo by “AFP” agency