Syrian Court Sentences Bashar al-Assad to Death in Absentia for War Crimes

A Damascus court sentenced former president Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia on August 11, 2026, convicting him of war crimes and crimes against humanity during Syria's civil war. His brother Maher received the same sentence. Both remain outside Syrian custody — Assad fled to Moscow in December 2024, and Russia has shown no willingness to extradite him.