Syrian Court Sentences Ousted President Bashar al-Assad to Death

A Syrian court sentenced former president Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, for crimes including murder, torture, and arbitrary arrest.

Assad, who fled Damascus in December 2024 and is currently in Moscow, was convicted alongside security official Atef Najib for atrocities committed during the country's 14-year war.

The verdict marks the first legal conviction against the 61-year-old former leader, whose family ruled Syria for decades until the rebel offensive that ended his regime.