Syrian court sentences former leader Bashar al-Assad to death

On Tuesday, August 11, 2026, a criminal court in Damascus handed down death sentences to former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher al-Assad, and Atef Najib, the former head of Political Security in the Daraa province. Bashar and Maher al-Assad, who have been in exile in Moscow since December 2024, were tried and convicted in absentia for crimes against humanity and war crimes related to the violent suppression of the 2011 uprising and the subsequent civil war. In contrast, Atef Najib was present in the courtroom, wearing a prisoner uniform when the verdict was announced.

These proceedings mark the first major legal actions taken by the new Syrian authorities against officials of the former regime. The charges against the defendants include murder and torture, reflecting the extensive human rights violations documented throughout the long-standing conflict. Bashar al-Assad had previously fled to Russia after being ousted in 2024, when rebel groups led by Joulani successfully seized power as military resistance largely collapsed. The legal process signifies a formal shift in post-conflict Syria as the new administration pursues accountability for the violence that plagued the country for over a decade.