A Syrian court sentenced ousted President Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher al-Assad and cousin Atef Najib to death on Tuesday, convicting them over crimes committed during the country’s nearly 14-year war.
Bashar and Maher, who are living in Russia, were tried in absentia, while Najib, detained by Syrian authorities in early 2025, appeared in court.
The verdicts marked the first convictions of Assad and his relatives under Syria’s transitional authorities.
The Criminal Court in Damascus found Bashar al-Assad guilty of offenses including premeditated murder, torture, arbitrary arrest and crimes against humanity.
Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan said witness testimony established Assad’s role as the highest decision-maker and his use of state institutions to facilitate crimes.
Maher al-Assad was sentenced in absentia for premeditated murder and torture.
Najib, the former political security chief in Deraa province, was convicted of crimes including murder, the intentional killing of children under 15 and torture leading to death.
The judge said Najib denied the charges and showed no remorse.
Former Defence Minister Fahd al-Freij and former Deraa military intelligence chief Louay al-Ali were among other former officials sentenced to death in absentia.
Crowds gathered outside the Damascus courthouse and in Deraa after the verdicts, with some carrying photographs of people killed or detained during the war.
The sentencing followed a nearly four-month trial process presented by the new authorities as part of transitional justice efforts.
Damascus has repeatedly sought Assad’s extradition from Russia, which granted him and his family asylum after his removal in December 2024, but Moscow has so far refused.
Anwar al-Bunni, head of the Syrian Centre for Legal Studies and Research, argued that imposing death sentences could make countries less willing to extradite defendants to Syria.
Syrian authorities are also seeking the return of former Assad-era officials elsewhere, including individuals in Lebanon.