A Syrian court handed down a death sentence in absentia to former Syrian President Bashar Assad and his brother on Tuesday for their involvement in crimes against humanity and war crimes during Syria’s 14-year conflict, resulting in approximately half a million deaths. This marks the first time such a ruling has been made against Assad or his close associates since their five-decade reign ended 20 months ago.
Judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan, speaking during a live court session broadcast on state television, accused Bashar Assad of utilizing state entities to perpetrate war crimes and crimes against humanity. Atef Najib, Assad’s maternal cousin, was also sentenced to death in the same case for his role in overseeing a crackdown in Daraa province, which sparked the uprising and subsequent civil war.
Atef Najib, a former Syrian army brigadier general, was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in April 2011 and detained later on. He was one of the highest-ranking officials to face trial and was the head of the political security branch in Daraa province under Assad in 2011.
During Najib’s tenure, a group of teenagers who had protested against the government by writing anti-regime graffiti on a school wall in Daraa were arrested and subjected to torture. This incident triggered widespread protests against Assad’s oppressive security policies, leading to a 14-year civil war that culminated in Assad’s ousting following a rebel offensive.
Victims of Najib’s brutal crackdown were present at the courthouse during the sentencing, including individuals who had been teenagers at the time of the crackdown. They expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision, with one individual stating, “there is happiness that Atef Najib was sentenced to death.”
Maher Assad, the former commander of the Syrian military’s 4th Armored Division, faces accusations of involvement in killings, torture, extortion, drug trafficking, and operating detention centers. Human Rights Watch has raised concerns about the death penalty, emphasizing the need for fair trial standards and the establishment of a lasting justice system in Syria to ensure accountability for crimes committed during the Assad era.