A Damascus court has sentenced former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia over crimes committed during his nearly 25-year rule.
The court found Assad responsible for killings, torture, arbitrary arrests and crimes against humanity during Syria’s years of conflict. His younger brother, Maher al-Assad, and former security official Atef Najib were also handed death sentences.
The ruling marks the first conviction of Bashar al-Assad by a Syrian court since his government collapsed in December 2024. The decision represents a major moment for families seeking answers about relatives who were killed, detained, tortured or disappeared during the conflict.
Assad was not present during the proceedings. He fled Syria after rebel forces advanced toward Damascus and brought down his government in December 2024. Russia later granted him asylum, making it difficult for Syrian authorities to enforce the death sentence.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding its implementation, the verdict carries major symbolic importance. Assad once controlled Syria’s political institutions, military and intelligence agencies. He is now formally declared a convicted criminal by a court in the capital he ruled for decades.
Maher al-Assad received the same punishment. He was one of the most powerful figures in the former regime and commanded the Fourth Armoured Division. The military unit became closely linked with government operations against opposition forces during the civil war.
For many Syrians, the Assad brothers represented different parts of the same ruling system. Bashar led the political structure, while Maher played an influential role within the military and security apparatus.
Bashar inherited the presidency from his father, Hafez al-Assad, in 2000. He had trained as an ophthalmologist and spent time studying in Britain. He was not originally expected to become president because his older brother, Bassel, had been prepared to succeed their father.
Bassel died in a car accident, changing the family’s succession plans. Bashar then returned to Syria and eventually became president. His arrival initially created hopes that the country could experience political and social reforms.
For a short period, Syria witnessed what became known as the Damascus Spring. Intellectuals, activists and reformers discussed political change and greater freedoms. However, the government soon tightened its control, while activists faced arrests and political opposition remained restricted.
In 2011, peaceful demonstrations spread across Syria. The government responded with increasing force, while armed opposition groups later emerged. The country eventually descended into a complex civil war involving government forces, rebels, Islamist factions, ISIS, Kurdish forces and foreign powers.
Iran and Hezbollah became important supporters of Assad, while Russia later intervened militarily to support his government. The conflict became one of the worst humanitarian disasters of the modern era.
Various estimates indicate that hundreds of thousands of people were killed during the war. Millions were displaced within Syria, while millions more fled to neighboring countries and other parts of the world.
The Assad family had ruled Syria for more than five decades. Hafez al-Assad seized power in 1970 and built a system where the presidency, military and security services were closely connected.
Bashar’s fall in 2024 ended that long political dynasty. Rebel forces advanced rapidly toward Damascus as government defenses collapsed. Assad eventually fled the country, leaving behind the system he had inherited from his father.
For victims’ families, the latest verdict could become an important step toward accountability. However, with Assad living in Russia, questions remain over whether the death sentence can ever be carried out.
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