A Syrian court has sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad to death after convicting him of crimes against humanity, arbitrary detention, premeditated murder, and torture, local media reported on Tuesday, 11 August 2025. The ruling marks a landmark moment in post-Assad Syria's reckoning with over a decade of documented state violence.

Key Convictions and Sentences

Presiding judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan stated that the court found Assad guilty based on his position as the highest decision-maker in Syria, citing his direct role in issuing orders to state institutions responsible for the violations. Assad's cousin and former political security chief in Daraa city, Atef Najib, was also sentenced to death, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

Death sentences were additionally handed down against several individuals listed as fugitives, including Louay Ali al-Ali, Maher Hafez al-Assad, Fahd Jassem al-Freij, Mohammad Ayman Ayoush, Qusay Ibrahim Mahyoub, Wafiq Saleh Nasser, and Talal Fares al-Aysami. The judge confirmed convictions on charges of premeditated, intentional murder and torture resulting in death.

How Assad's Government Collapsed

The Assad government fell on 8 December 2024 following a swift 12-day offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied militant groups. Assad, along with his family, fled to Moscow as Damascus fell — ending a rule that had endured more than 13 years of civil conflict.

In a subsequent public statement released through the Syrian Presidency's Telegram account, Assad claimed he had remained in Damascus until the early morning hours of 8 December, performing his duties. He said he coordinated with Russian contacts to relocate to Latakia to continue directing military operations, but upon reaching Russia's Hmeimim Air Base, found that all remaining Syrian army positions had collapsed and ground forces had withdrawn.

Assad's Own Account of His Departure

Assad maintained that the idea of seeking asylum or relinquishing power never arose, stating his only option had been to continue fighting. He rejected any suggestion that he abandoned Syria, noting he had lived in Damascus with his family even during the most intense years of conflict. As drone attacks targeted the Russian base itself, Moscow reportedly arranged an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of 8 December 2024.

He described himself as a leader who never sought personal power, framing his role as part of a broader national project. Critics and human rights organisations have sharply contested this self-portrayal, pointing to extensive documentation of mass atrocities under his administration.

What Comes Next

Since Assad and most of the other convicted individuals are currently outside Syria — primarily in Russia, which has not indicated any intention to extradite him — enforcement of the death sentences remains uncertain. The verdicts are nonetheless significant as a formal judicial record of accountability. Syria's new governing authorities are expected to continue pursuing legal proceedings against former regime figures, and international human rights bodies have long called for a credible accountability mechanism for crimes committed during the Syrian conflict.