Former Syrian President Assad sentenced to death in absentia for war crimes
- A Syrian court sentenced ousted President Bashar Assad and his brother in absentia for murder, torture, and crimes against humanity.
- The verdicts are the first against Assad or any members of his inner circle since his family’s five decades in power ended.
- Assad and his brother Maher fled to Russia after the Syrian government's collapse in December 2024.
- Six other former officials were also sentenced to death in absentia, while Atef Najib, a former official, was sentenced in custody.
- The judge stated that Assad used state agencies to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity.
A Syrian court on Tuesday sentenced ousted President Bashar Assad and his brother in absentia for murder, torture, and crimes against humanity committed before and during the country’s 14-year civil war that left about half a million people dead.
The verdicts by a court in Damascus are the first against Assad or any members of his inner circle since his family’s five decades in power came to an end 20 months ago. They are mostly symbolic, however, because Assad and his brother Maher had fled to Russia, where they received asylum after the Syrian government’s stunning collapse in December 2024.
Six other former officials were also sentenced to death in absentia. The only former official sentenced to death and in custody is Assad’s maternal cousin Atef Najib, who oversaw a crackdown on dissent that led to an uprising that sparked the civil war.
Judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan stated that Assad used state agencies to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity. The verdicts found Assad and the others guilty of premeditated murder, including against children, as well as other acts of brutality, including torture.
叙利亚前总统阿萨德因战争罪缺席被判死刑
叙利亚法院于周二缺席判决叙利亚前总统巴沙尔·阿萨德及其兄弟因在国家14年的内战中实施的谋杀、酷刑和危害人类罪成立，导致约五十万人遇难。
大马士革的判决是自阿萨德家族执政五十年结束以来，首次对阿萨德或其内圈成员的判决。然而，这些判决大多是象征性的，因为阿萨德和他的兄弟马赫尔已逃往俄罗斯，并在2024年12月叙利亚政府崩溃后获得庇护。
另外六名前官员也被缺席判处死刑。唯一在押期间被判处死刑的前官员是阿萨德的表亲阿特夫·纳吉布，他负责镇压异议，导致了引发内战的起义。
法官法哈雷丁·阿尔-阿里扬表示，阿萨德利用国家机构实施战争罪和危害人类罪。判决认定阿萨德及其他人犯有包括针对儿童的预谋谋杀，以及其他残酷行为，包括酷刑。