
Damascus hands Bashar al-Assad a death sentence in absentia as Syria shifts under new leadership
A Damascus court sentenced former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for crimes against humanity and war crimes during the civil war, along with seven other former security officials including his brother Maher al-Assad and cousin Atef Najib; Assad has been living in exile in Russia since the regime fell in 2024, and Syria’s new leadership has sought his extradition, though Moscow has not signaled whether it will comply.













