Syrian Court Sentences Ousted President Bashar Assad To Death For War Crimes
The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus sentenced ousted President Bashar Assad, his brother Maher Assad and cousin Atef Najib to death in absentia on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.[1]
Presiding Judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan said on live state TV that "Bashar Assad used state agencies to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity." NPR
Atef Najib, the former head of the Political Security Branch in Daraa, appeared in court in a cage wearing a prison uniform as the sentence was read.[1] Syria's new rulers say Bashar and Maher fled to Russia after the government's fall in December 2024, that Moscow granted them political asylum, and that they have formally asked Russia to hand the brothers over.[1]
Najib's role in the 2011 torture of teenagers who wrote anti-government graffiti in Daraa helped spark mass protests that expanded into Syria's long civil war.[1] The sentences convict them of war crimes and crimes against humanity tied to Syria's 14-year conflict.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Tuesday, August 11, 2026, the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus sentenced ousted President Bashar Assad and his brother Maher to death in absentia and handed a death sentence to their cousin Atef Najib as the verdicts were announced (Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus).
- Presiding Judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan said on live state TV that “Bashar Assad used state agencies to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity,” attributing the charges to the use of official institutions (Presiding Judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan).
- Atef Najib, the former head of the Political Security Branch in Daraa, appeared in court in a cage wearing a prison uniform while the sentence was read, amid tight security and a crowd gathered outside the Damascus courthouse (Atef Najib).
- The article reports that Bashar and Maher Assad fled to Russia after the government’s fall in December 2024, received political asylum in Russia, and that Syria’s new rulers have formally asked Moscow to hand them over (political asylum in Russia).
- The coverage notes historical context that Najib’s role in the 2011 torture of teenagers who wrote anti‑government graffiti in Daraa helped spark mass protests that escalated into Syria’s long civil war (Najib’s role in the 2011 torture).
📰 Source Timeline (2)
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- On Tuesday, August 11, 2026, the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus sentenced ousted President Bashar Assad, his brother Maher Assad, and cousin Atef Najib to death in absentia for war crimes and crimes against humanity tied to Syria's 14‑year conflict.
- Presiding Judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan said during a live state TV broadcast that "Bashar Assad used state agencies to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity."
- Najib, the former head of the Political Security Branch in Daraa, appeared in court in a cage in prison uniform as the sentence was read, amid tight security and a crowd gathered outside the Damascus courthouse.
- The article reiterates that Assad and Maher fled to Russia after the government's fall in December 2024, received political asylum there, and that Syria's new rulers have requested Russia hand them over.
- The piece gives added historical context that Najib’s role in the 2011 torture of teenagers who wrote anti‑government graffiti in Daraa helped spark mass protests that grew into the civil war.