Syria: Court sentences Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia in landmark trial

Middle East Eye reports that a Damascus court sentenced Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia, along with his brother Maher and former security official Atef Najib. The court convicted Assad of the premeditated murder of multiple people, including children, as well as torture, arbitrary detention, and crimes against humanity. Najib stood trial in person, while Assad and Maher were tried in absentia—Assad fled to Moscow in December 2024 as opposition forces closed in on the capital. The ruling represents the first prosecution under Syria's transitional authorities.

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