{"id":38902,"date":"2026-08-11T16:41:48","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T11:41:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=38902"},"modified":"2026-08-11T16:41:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T11:41:48","slug":"ousted-syrian-dictator-bashar-al-assad-sentenced-to-death-in-absentia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=38902","title":{"rendered":"Ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad sentenced to death in absentia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" data-article-body=\"true\" data-body-type=\"bodyblocks\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A Syrian court has sentenced ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia, after convicting him of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during the country&#8217;s civil war.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It is the first conviction against Assad, <a data-ylk=\"slk:who fled from Damascus to Moscow;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cqx89reeevgo?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Byahoo.north.america%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">who fled from Damascus to Moscow<\/a> with his family after his regime was overthrown in December 2024, ending his family&#8217;s five-decade grip on power.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Assad&#8217;s cousin and the former head of political security in southern Syria&#8217;s Deraa province, Atef Najib, was also sentenced to death. He had been put on trial and appeared wearing a striped prison uniform<strong> <\/strong>inside a cage in the courtroom as the judge read out his sentence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Deraa is widely seen as the birthplace of the uprising against Assad&#8217;s rule.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In March 2011, the detention and alleged torture of a group of teenagers accused of writing anti-government graffiti sparked protests in the city, which were met with a violent crackdown by security forces.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">That response helped ignite nationwide demonstrations that escalated into civil war in which hundreds of thousands of people were killed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Syria&#8217;s interim government began trying officials associated with the Assad regime, which ruled the country for more than 50 years, earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Najib is one of the highest-ranking officials to be put on trial.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He was convicted of crimes including murder, &#8220;the intentional killing of children under 15&#8221; and &#8220;torture leading to death&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The court also sentenced six former military and security officials in absentia to death, including Bashar al-Assad&#8217;s younger brother, Maher. He ran the army&#8217;s elite Fourth Division and also fled to Moscow when the regime fell.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The others convicted include former defence minister Fahd al-Freij.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Ateb Najib stands inside a cage wearing a striped uniform as he is sentenced in a courtroom in Damascus, Syria.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/lo\/mysterio\/api\/2f274b55c80efcec1efb03ea55f3cfb18726cd5824f51bcaf11eac877f4ad6b2\/lightyear_networkapi\/resizefill_w960%3Bquality_80%3Bformat_webp\/https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.zenfs.com%2Fen%2Fbbc_us_articles_995%2F9340c3137c4db4225ec8d968358b3087\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><default:svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><default:path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/default:svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<div style=\"max-height:none;overflow:visible\"><span class=\"[&amp;_p]:inline\"><\/p>\n<p>Atef Najib appeared in a cage in court during his sentencing on Tuesday [NurPhoto via GettyImages]<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Nouha al-Masri has spent 15 years waiting for this moment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">She is not just part of the five person prosecution team, she is also a plaintiff in this case.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Masri lost her brother during the March 2011 crackdown and massacre at Al-Omari Square in Deraa.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;The verdict reflects the magnitude of the sacrifices we made, the sacrifices of the martyrs, the suffering and pain of the victims, the missing, and the detainees,&#8221; she told the BBC.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;We have been waiting for 15 years to reclaim even a small part of our rights, for all those who have spilled our blood, committed crimes, violated our rights, killed, and tortured us.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">For Masri, the verdict is a new chapter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Our demand is that this not be the end of the trials&#8230; In the new Syria, there will be no impunity from this day forward.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It<strong> <\/strong>remains unclear whether Syria&#8217;s new authorities will be able to secure Bashar<strong> <\/strong>and Maher al-Assad&#8217;s<strong> <\/strong>extraditions from Moscow.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It is not the first move against Assad by Syria&#8217;s new leadership.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">An arrest warrant was issued against him last December on charges of murder and torture.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He left for Russia as forces under <a data-ylk=\"slk:Ahmed al-Sharaa;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sounds\/play\/w3ct71fr?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Byahoo.north.america%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Ahmed al-Sharaa<\/a> &#8211; now Syria&#8217;s president &#8211; swept to power in a rapid, 11-day campaign that brought down the Assad dynasty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Since then, the new government has detained numerous former officials and security personnel, though most senior figures from the old regime, including Assad himself, remain out of reach in Russia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Attempts by Syrian opposition figures to pursue Assad through courts in Western countries during the final years of his rule did not lead to any convictions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Assad came to power in 2000 after the death of his father. The second son of Hafez al-Assad, he was not destined to be Syria&#8217;s ruler until his brother, Basil, died in a car crash in 1994.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Part of the Alawite minority, he continued to favour their dominance in many roles in the military, security and intelligence agencies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Much of his rule was defined by the civil war.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>Additional reporting by Lana Antaki in Damascus.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Syrian court has sentenced ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia, after convicting him of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during the country&#8217;s civil war. It is the first conviction against Assad, who fled from Damascus to Moscow with his family after his regime was overthrown in December 2024, ending his&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38903,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/lo\/mysterio\/api\/f8c0c4fa8a38b7ca604cd1e8bfd2e8202fbbb65becc63c1c75b1766d76c39151\/lightyear_networkapi\/resizefill_w911_h512%3Bquality_80%3Bformat_jpg\/https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.zenfs.com%2Fen%2Fbbc_us_articles_995%2F49662e2fa52e6cba500ea75f834efa07","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-trending-viral-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38902","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=38902"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38902\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/38903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=38902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=38902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=38902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}