‘Justice at last’: Syrians react to Assad death sentence

Syrians celebrated a court's decision to sentence ousted President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia. The sentencing occurred after a court proceeding where al-Assad was found guilty. This verdict was met with jubilation by Syrians who gathered to mark the occasion. The article does not specify the exact date or location of the court proceedings or the celebrations, but it clearly states that Syrians reacted with joy to the death sentence handed down to their former president.

A Syrian court has sentenced former leader Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia. The conviction, handed down on Tuesday, stems from his role in crimes including killings, torture, and arbitrary arrest during Syria's nearly 14-year war. This marks the first conviction against Assad, who was ousted in a rebel offensive in December 2024, ending his family's long rule. He fled the capital, Damascus, approximately two years prior as rebel forces advanced and is reportedly in Moscow. The war resulted in hundreds of thousands of Syrian deaths.

A Syrian court has sentenced former dictator Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the country's civil war. Assad fled Damascus for Moscow with his family in December 2024 after his regime was overthrown, ending his family's 50-year rule. Also sentenced to death was Atef Najib, Assad's cousin and former head of political security in Deraa province, the birthplace of the uprising. The trials of officials associated with the Assad regime began earlier this year, with Najib being one of the highest-ranking individuals to face court. The civil war, which began in March 2011, escalated from protests sparked by the detention and alleged torture of teenagers.

Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan, who was sentenced to death in absentia for defecting from the Syrian regime in 2013, is now presiding over the trial of former officials, including Atef Najib, a cousin of the ousted Bashar al-Assad. The trial, which began on April 26, 2026, in Damascus, charges Najib with war crimes. Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher al-Assad are also being tried in absentia, having fled to Russia after their regime's overthrow in December 2024. This development holds significant symbolic weight, representing a shift towards accountability and the rule of law following the regime's collapse. The trial signifies a step towards transitional justice, though the process is described as far from complete.