Bashar al-Assad, Atef Najib Sentenced to Death in Landmark Syria Trial

Syria’s former President Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher al-Assad and cousin Atef Najib have been sentenced to death after being convicted over crimes committed during the country’s nearly 14-year war.

The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus found Bashar al-Assad guilty of premeditated murder, torture and crimes against humanity. He was sentenced in absentia after being toppled in December 2024 and subsequently going into exile in Russia.

The verdict marks a landmark trial concerning alleged abuses committed during Assad’s rule and Syria’s long-running conflict.