Dbarta24 International Desk — In a historic judicial ruling, a criminal court in Damascus has sentenced ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia after finding him guilty of crimes against humanity and premeditated murder committed during his regime’s violent crackdown on civilians.
The court also sentenced Atef Najib, the former political security chief for the southern Daraa province, to death for his role in orchestrating torture and premeditated killings.
The rulings specifically address state-sponsored atrocities launched in Daraa during the 2011 uprising, which prosecutors argued met the legal threshold for crimes against humanity.
The verdict follows the dramatic collapse of Assad’s government in December 2024, when an opposition offensive led by Islamist leader Ahmed al-Sharaa—now serving as Syria’s interim president—took control of Damascus.
Assad fled the country aboard a Russian military flight to Moscow, where he remains under asylum.
A Legacy of Brutality and Collapse
Bashar al-Assad assumed power in 2000 following the death of his father, Hafez al-Assad, who had ruled Syria since 1971. Although his tenure initially promised economic and civic reforms, Assad quickly reverted to authoritarian rule, mirroring the repressive governance of his father’s 29-year regime.
When the Arab Spring swept across the region in March 2011, anti-government demonstrations erupted in Daraa. The regime’s deadly response escalated peaceful protests into an armed, multi-sided civil war.
Over nearly 13 years of conflict, more than 600,000 people were killed, and over 13 million were displaced—creating one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes of the 21st century.
Assad maintained control over major urban centers through heavy military intervention from key foreign allies, including Russia, Iran, and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
However, shifting global dynamics—including Russia’s military focus in Ukraine and regional escalations in Gaza and Lebanon—severely undermined his foreign security backing by late 2024.
The November Offensive and the End of a Dynasty
The final phase of the Assad regime unfolded rapidly in late 2024. On November 27, opposition coalition forces led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a sudden, highly organized offensive.
Despite Assad travelling to Moscow on November 28 to seek emergency military assistance, Russian authorities—preoccupied with the war in Ukraine—declined to launch a large-scale intervention. Within days, Syrian state forces experienced widespread command breakdown:
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November 30, 2024: Opposition forces captured Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city.
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December 5, 2024: Strategic centers in Hama fell as opposition troops pushed south toward the capital.
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December 7, 2024: The opposition secured Homs, Daraa, and Suwayda, completely isolating Damascus.
During a final telephone exchange late on December 7, Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali briefed Assad on the crumbling defense lines. Assad reportedly dismissed the immediate threat, stating:
“Tomorrow, we will look into it.”
By early morning on December 8, 2024, opposition fighters entered Damascus without significant resistance. Assad evacuated the capital via an undetected flight to Khmeimim Air Base in Latakia before being flown to Moscow.
The entry of opposition forces marked the end of the Assad family’s 53-year reign over Syria, leading to the establishment of a transitional administration and the criminal proceedings that culminated in today’s sentencing.