A Syrian court has sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad and Ateb Najib—the former head of political security in the country’s Daraa province—to death.
According to a live report by the Qatar-based news outlet Al Jazeera, the Damascus Criminal Court found Assad guilty on Tuesday of torture and arbitrary arrests committed during the country’s 14-year war.
Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Arian stated in court that witness testimony proved the former Syrian leader was the “ultimate decision-maker” behind these crimes and had utilized state institutions to facilitate their commission.
Meanwhile, Najib, a security official during Assad’s tenure, was convicted by the court of premeditated murder and torture.
Assad was ousted from power in December 2024 following a rebel uprising, marking the end of the Assad family’s nearly 53-year rule over Syria.
After being deposed, Assad fled Damascus for Moscow, where he has resided for the past two years. A Reuters report states that a Syrian judge sentenced Assad to death on Tuesday for crimes including the premeditated and intentional killing of individuals and children, torture, arbitrary arrest, and crimes against humanity.
Born in 1965, Assad assumed the presidency of Syria in 2000 following his father’s death. He maintained his family’s long-standing rule and governed the country with support from Iran.
However, civil conflict erupted in the country during his tenure, amidst the backdrop of the Iraq War and the Lebanon crisis. In 2011, citizens took to the streets demanding democracy, but allegations arose that Assad employed heavy weaponry to suppress these protests.
