Damascus, 11 August 2026 (dpa/MIA) - A Syrian court on Tuesday sentenced ousted president Bashar al-Assad in absentia to death on charges of premeditated murder, torture, arbitrary detention and crimes against humanity.

Al-Assad is currently in exile in Russia, which has so far not extradited him to Syria. The verdict against al-Assad from the fourth criminal court in the capital Damascus was read out live on Syrian state television.

Alongside al-Assad, his cousin Atef Najib was also sentenced to death. Najib, who is in Syria, is one of the few key figures of the al-Assad government who will stand trial in the country.

In 2011, he was the security chief in the southern city of Daraa, where the anti-government uprising began after teenagers sprayed graffiti on the walls of their school and were arrested. This started the nearly 14-year civil war.

Najib is accused in the indictment of crimes against the Syrian people including "systematic mass murder" and arbitrary arrests.

Bashar al-Assad's brother Maher al-Assad and other representatives of the ousted government were also sentenced to death in absentia. They were accused of premeditated and planned murder and torture resulting in death.

MIA file photo