A Syrian court has sentenced former president Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the civil war. This marks the first conviction against Assad since he fled to Moscow following the fall of his regime in December 2024.
Alongside Assad, several high-ranking officials, including his cousin Atef Najib and former defense minister Fahd al-Freij, received death sentences. The trials represent a significant step towards accountability for actions taken during the civil war, which has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and widespread suffering in Syria.