Signal Damascus court sentences former President Assad to death in absentia

Summary

On August 11, 2026, Syria's Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus sentenced former president Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during the civil war. His brother Maher al-Assad and six other former military and security officials, including cousin Atef Najib, were also sentenced to death in absentia; Najib is the only one in custody. Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan found Assad guilty of premeditated murder, killing of children under 15, torture, and unlawful detention. Assad and Maher fled to Russia after the government's collapse in December 2024 and received political asylum there, and Syria's new government has requested their extradition. This marks the first such conviction since Syria's transitional leadership took power, though the sentence is largely symbolic given Assad's location. Human rights groups have raised concerns about the speed and fairness of the proceedings.