Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan said the court convicted Assad of crimes against humanity and other offences, citing his position as the highest decision-maker and his alleged role in issuing orders to state institutions involved in the violations.

The court also sentenced Atef Najib, Assad’s cousin and former political security chief in Daraa, to death, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

Several Former Officials Also Sentenced to Death

The court announced death sentences against several other former officials described as fugitives.

Those named were Louay Ali al-Ali, Maher Hafez al-Assad, Fahd Jassem al-Freij, Mohammad Ayman Ayoush, Qusay Ibrahim Mahyoub, Wafiq Saleh Nasser and Talal Fares al-Aysami.

Judge al-Aryan said the defendants were convicted of premeditated and intentional murder as well as torture that resulted in deaths.

The verdicts mark a major development in the legal proceedings surrounding alleged crimes committed during Assad’s rule.

Assad Government Collapsed in December 2024

Assad’s government collapsed on December 8, 2024, following a 12-day offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied groups.

Bashar al-Assad and members of his family subsequently left Syria and travelled to Moscow after the collapse of his government.

In a statement released through the Syrian Presidency’s Telegram account following his departure, Assad addressed reports surrounding the final hours of his rule and his evacuation to Russia.

According to the statement, Assad said he had remained in Damascus until the early hours of December 8 and continued performing his duties. He said that after militant groups entered the capital, he coordinated with Russian officials to relocate to Latakia, with the intention of continuing to direct military operations.

Assad Says Russia Arranged His Evacuation

According to his account, Assad reached Russia’s Hmeimim Air Base and realised that remaining Syrian army positions had collapsed and ground forces had withdrawn from the front lines.

He said that as the situation deteriorated and the Russian base came under drone attacks, Moscow arranged an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of December 8.

Assad rejected the suggestion that he had planned to seek asylum or abandon his position, saying his intention had been to continue fighting.

He also denied that he had agreed to political deals or arrangements to leave Syria, and said he had continued living in Damascus with his family during the years of conflict despite repeated threats from advancing militant groups.

The latest court verdict comes after more than a decade of civil conflict in Syria and the dramatic collapse of Assad’s government in December 2024.