Bashar al-Assad sentenced to death in Syria: What we know

The former president of Syria Bashar al-Assad has been sentenced to death in absentia by a Syrian court on Tuesday for committing atrocities during the country’s nearly 14-year civil war.

Since overthrowing Assad rule in December 2024, this is for the first time such ruling under Syria’s transitional leader upheld justice, transparency and accountability for crimes against.

Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan convicted Assad for crimes including “premeditated murder, the intentional killing of more than one person, the intentional killing of children under 15 years… torture, torture leading to death, and deprivation of liberty on multiple occasions — classified as crimes against humanity and war crimes”.

“He is therefore sentenced to death.”

The death sentence sent a wave of joy among the Syrians who gathered around the court in Damascus. Crowds in Deraa gathered to celebrate, viewing the verdict as a measure of justice for the sacrifices and suffering endured over 15 years of war.

The four-month trial in which the death sentence has been awarded was organized by Syria’s new Islamist-led authorities as part of their transitional justice initiative.

Besides Assad, the court handed the death sentence to six former military and security officials in absentia including Assad’s brother Maher. His brother ran the army’s elite Fourth Division and also fled the country during the offensive.

Atef Najib, Assad’s cousin and former security official in Deraa, was the only defendant tried in person following his detention in early 2025.

Some legal experts, such as Anwar al-Bunni, showed skepticism over the death sentence, calling it a performative justice. He argued that handing the capital punishment over will prevent foreign nations and authorities from repatriating Assad and other co-defendants to face justice inside Syria.

Where is Bashar al-Assad now?

When Assad was ousted two years ago, the ex-president fled to Moscow as Islamist-led forces closed in on Damascus after launching an offensive. In Russia, he was granted asylum there on humanitarian grounds. Currently, he is living there along with his family.