Syria's Court Sentences Former Leader Assad to Death — but Russia Holds the Key

A court in Syria sentenced former president Bashar al-Assad to death on August 11, 2026, for killing and torturing people. Assad fled to Moscow in December 2024 and has lived there since. Syria cannot force Russia to send him back, because the two countries have no deal requiring them to hand over fugitives. Only Russia's voluntary choice can make the sentence real.