Syria Sentences Former President al-Assad to Death for Crimes Against Humanity
Latest update from PBS NewsHour: In our news wrap Tuesday, ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been sentenced to death in absentia for war crimes during the country's brutal civil war, authorities say at least six people were killed when Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired ballistic missiles on a vessel and the Democratic Republic of the Congo says the Ebola outbreak there has now killed more than 2,000 people. The former president was convicted of crimes against humanity during the country’s civil war, the first verdict since he fled to Russia in 2024. A court in Syria sentenced Bashar al-Assad, the country’s ousted president, and several other former government officials to death in absentia on Tuesday after convicting them of committing murder, torture and crimes against humanity during the nearly 14-year civil war. The verdicts marked the end of the first trial related to the war held in Syria since Mr. al-Assad was overthrown in December 2024 , and they were met with celebrations inside and outside the courthouse in Damascus, the capital, and across the country. Eight other people were sentenced, including Maher al-Assad, Mr. al-Assad’s younger brother, who led an elite army unit that was instrumental in attacking and killing opponents of the government throughout the war. Atef Najib, a cousin of Mr.
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Najib has the right to appeal within 30 days but the others do not because they refused to appear in court, said Radeef Mustafa, director of the accountability department at the National Commission for Transitional Justice, which oversees the process of prosecuting human rights abuses during the war.
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The former president was convicted of crimes against humanity during the country’s civil war, the first verdict since he fled to Russia in 2024. A court in Syria sentenced Bashar al-Assad, the country’s ousted president, and several other former government officials to death in absentia on Tuesday after convicting them of committing murder, torture and crimes against humanity during the nearly 14-year civil war. The verdicts marked the end of the first trial related to the war held in Syria since Mr. al-Assad was overthrown in December 2024 , and they were met with celebrations inside and outside the courthouse in Damascus, the capital, and across the country. Eight other people were sentenced, including Maher al-Assad, Mr. al-Assad’s younger brother, who led an elite army unit that was instrumental in attacking and killing opponents of the government throughout the war. Atef Najib, a cousin of Mr. al-Assad and the former political security chief in the southern province of Daraa, was also convicted and sentenced to death.
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Latest update from PBS NewsHour: In our news wrap Tuesday, ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been sentenced to death in absentia for war crimes during the country's brutal civil war, authorities say at least six people were killed when Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired ballistic missiles on a vessel and the Democratic Republic of the Congo says the Ebola outbreak there has now killed more than 2,000 people. The former president was convicted of crimes against humanity during the country’s civil war, the first verdict since he fled to Russia in 2024. A court in Syria sentenced Bashar al-Assad, the country’s ousted president, and several other former government officials to death in absentia on Tuesday after convicting them of committing murder, torture and crimes against humanity during the nearly 14-year civil war. The verdicts marked the end of the first trial related to the war held in Syria since Mr. al-Assad was overthrown in December 2024 , and they were met with celebrations inside and outside the courthouse in Damascus, the capital, and across the country. Eight other people were sentenced, including Maher al-Assad, Mr. al-Assad’s younger brother, who led an elite army unit that was instrumental in attacking and killing opponents of the government throughout the war. Atef Najib, a cousin of Mr.
