Syrian court convicts ousted president Assad of war crimes

A Syrian court has sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad to death for war crimes. The verdict was announced on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. Assad was found guilty of murder, torture, and killing children. His brother Maher al-Assad, who commanded a major army division, also received a death sentence. Both men were convicted in absentia because they are outside Syria. Assad fled to Russia when his government fell in December 2024.

A cousin, Atef Najib, was the only senior defendant present at the trial. He was also sentenced to death. The crimes relate to Syria's civil war, which lasted 14 years and killed around half a million people. The trial was broadcast live on Syrian state television. It is the first time a court has convicted Assad since his government collapsed.