A Syrian court has sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad and his younger brother to death in absentia, finding them guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The ruling comes after a 14-year conflict that has resulted in approximately half a million deaths.
Also sentenced to death in the same case was Atef Najib, Assad's maternal cousin, who was accused of leading the crackdown in the southern province of Daraa. This crackdown is widely seen as the catalyst for the uprising that eventually escalated into the Syrian civil war.
Najib, a former brigadier general in the Syrian army, served as the head of the Political Security Branch in Daraa province in 2011, a role under al-Assad's presidency. He was present in court, standing in a prisoner's uniform inside a cage as the judge read the verdict.
According to reports, Assad and his brother Maher fled to Russia in December 2024 after insurgent forces advanced into Damascus. Najib was later apprehended and became one of the most high-ranking officials to face trial in connection with the conflict.