A Syrian court has sentenced former president Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for premeditated murder of multiple persons including children, torture, arbitrary arrests, and crimes against humanity. The ruling was issued in Damascus and reported by the official Syrian news agency Sana.

Alongside Assad, the same sentence was handed down to his younger brother Maher al-Assad, former commander of the army's Fourth Division, former defense minister Fahd Jassem al-Freij, and Louay Ali al-Ali, former head of military intelligence in Daraa. Maher al-Assad is believed to be residing in Russia.

Assad's cousin Atef Najib, 66, was also sentenced to death. Najib has been detained in Syria since January 2025 and was present in court at the time of the verdict. In 2011, Najib headed security in the city of Daraa, where the first protests broke out and then spread across the country, marking the start of the Syrian Spring. According to the prosecution, Najib oversaw killings, torture, and enforced disappearances during the civil war.

Bashar al-Assad governed Syria from 2000 to 2024, succeeding his father Hafez. After the fall of the government, approximately two years ago, the former president has been living in Russia, where he was granted asylum and protection. The current leader of the country is Ahmed al-Sharaa.