Due to "Crimes Against Humanity".. In Absentia Death Sentence for Bashar al-Assad and His Brother Maher in Syria

- A Syrian court issued a absentia death sentence on Tuesday against the ousted Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, his younger brother Maher al-Assad, and several fleeing officials, in connection with crimes against the Syrian people during the 14-year conflict in Syria, which resulted in the deaths of nearly half a million people. The court also sentenced Assad's cousin, Atef Najib, to death for his role in leading the crackdown in the southern province of Daraa, which contributed to the outbreak of the uprising and then the civil war.

The official Syrian news agency "SANA" reported that "the death sentence also included Fahd al-Freij, Muhammad Ayoush, Louay al-Ali, Qusay Mahyoub, Wafiq Nasser, and Talal al-Eisami." Under tight security measures, Najib stood in a cage wearing prison attire while the judge read the verdict.

Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan, who presided over the session, stated that "investigations and witness testimonies proved Atef Najib's involvement in interrogating several detainees following the outbreak of protests in Daraa." He pointed out that "the Political Security Branch in Daraa, which was led by Najib, stormed the Omari Mosque in cooperation with other security branches," adding that Najib "led the security campaign against civilians in Daraa at the beginning of the Syrian revolution, which was referred to as (the trap), according to what was stated in his interrogation."

The judge clarified that the actions attributed to Atef Najib, based on investigations and witness testimonies, amount to crimes against humanity, noting that the contribution of the ousted Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, to these crimes was in his capacity as the highest decision-maker, and that he utilized state apparatuses to implement them. Judge al-Aryan stated that the court convicted the ousted Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, of premeditated murder of more than one person and of children, of torture and arbitrary detention, and of committing crimes against humanity, and sentenced him to death.

Assad and his brother Maher fled to Russia after armed factions entered Damascus in December 2024. Najib was later arrested and became one of the prominent officials who were put on trial.

Najeeb was a former general in the Syrian army, and in 2011 he took over as head of the Political Security Branch in the Daraa province in southern Syria during Assad's rule.