Syrian court sentences Bashar al-Assad and family to death for war crimes

A Syrian court handed down, on August 11, 2026, a death sentence against former president Bashar al-Assad due to his crimes committed during the country’s civil war. The same penalty was imposed on the former ruler’s brother and a cousin, in a historic verdict. Al-Assad and his brother fled to Russia after the fall of the regime in 2024.

More than a year and a half after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, the Fourth Criminal Court in the capital Damascus sentenced him to death in his absence. The former leader was found guilty of intentional murder of several people, including children, torture, arbitrary detentions and crimes against humanity. The reading of the sentence was broadcast live on Syrian state television.

Mahir al-Assad, the former president’s brother, and other members of the deposed government were also sentenced to death in contumacy. The charges included intentional and planned homicide, as well as torture resulting in death.

Read also: Luxury exile: Bashar al-Assad lives with impunity in Moscow after conviction in Syria

Among the few key figures from the former administration who appeared before the court in Syria was Atef Najib, Assad’s cousin. He received the death penalty for “systematic mass murder” and arbitrary arrests, among other crimes. Judge Fachr al-Din al-Arian said the court unanimously decided to impose the maximum punishment on Najib.

Dozens of people gathered in front of the Palace of Justice in Damascus, cheering and celebrating after the verdict was announced. This was the first conviction of Bashar al-Assad, representing a long-awaited moment for Syrian society in the process of reconstructing its history. However, the sentence remains symbolic for now, as its execution is unlikely. The former president and his brother, known as “the Butcher”, took refuge in Russia after the fall of the government. If they are captured or extradited, judicial authorities await them.

Syrian conflict accounts for more than 500,000 deaths

Atef Najib served in 2011 as head of the political security service in the province of Daraa, located in the south of the country. Daraa is considered the birthplace of the revolt against Assad, where the first mass protests broke out in March 2011. The mobilization was triggered by the arrest of young people who had painted anti-government graffiti on the walls of their schools. Security forces violently repressed the protests, which began the civil war.

Estimates indicate that more than 500,000 people lost their lives in the Syrian civil conflict. Most of the deaths were attributed to the Syrian government of then-leader Assad. However, the Islamic group Haiat Tahrir al-Scham (HTS), other militias present in Syria and the terrorist group Islamic State (IS) were also responsible for some of the victims.

After nearly 14 years of brutal civil conflict, Assad’s administration was overthrown in late 2024 by a coalition of rebels led by HTS. Currently, the head of HTS, Ahmed al-Scharaa, rules the country as interim president. Since then, Syria has sought to restructure itself, and the transitional justice system faces a series of challenges.

Full coverage: Latest News (EN)

The new judicial system faces challenges

For a long time, the fair prosecution of those responsible in Syria itself was unfeasible. Consequently, prosecutions against Syrian citizens were conducted in other countries, including Germany and France. Recently, the German Federal Court of Justice upheld a decision by the Stuttgart Higher Regional Court, which sentenced a former Shiite militiaman to life in prison.

After the political transition, the new leadership began the criminal prosecution of high-ranking officials from the previous regime. Since the end of April, trials have been taking place in the newly created Fourth Criminal Court of the Palace of Justice in Damascus. Many cases involve systematic torture, mass murder, violent repression of peaceful demonstrations and torture resulting in death, including of minors. The objective of these processes is to clarify who issued orders for violence, who participated in the torture and where the mass graves are located. At the same time, justice seeks to offer reparations to victims in the country and strengthen the rule of law in the new Syria.

To date, legal proceedings have focused mainly on representatives of the former administration. Critics point out that crimes committed by other armed groups, including jihadist factions and rebel militias, have been largely ignored. Others interpret the trials as an attempt to politically satisfy the population and international partners.

Trial is a milestone for Syrian justice

Court officials declared that “this is not the end of the road, but rather an important milestone on the path towards justice, reparation for victims and the preservation of the rule of law”.

In the coming days, new trials are scheduled. The next hearing in the case of Wassim al-Assad, another cousin of the former president, is scheduled for August 18. The sentence against former Grand Mufti Ahmed Hassun is expected to be announced on August 24. Both are currently in Syria.