Former Syrian President sentenced to death in absentia

Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been sentenced to death in absentia by a Syrian court after being found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the country’s civil war, the BBC reports, citing the Syrian state news agency SANA, CE Report quotes MOLDPRES.

The court found that the violent suppression of protests in Daraa province in 2011 included actions that could be classified as crimes against humanity. The crackdown on demonstrations in Daraa was one of the events that preceded the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, a conflict in which several countries, including Russia, later became involved.

Atef Najib, Bashar al-Assad’s cousin and former head of the Political Security Directorate in Daraa province, was also sentenced to death. He was arrested in January 2025 and was present in the courtroom when the verdict was announced.

Bashar al-Assad was removed from power in December 2024 and fled with his family to Moscow, where he was granted asylum. In September 2025, Syrian judicial authorities issued an arrest warrant for him.

The sentence was handed down in the absence of the former Syrian leader, who remains in Russia.

Bashar al-Assad ruled Syria from 2000 until the collapse of his regime in December 2024.

Photo: Wikipedia