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A Syrian court has sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad to death.
On Tuesday, a criminal court in Damascus convicted him in absentia of murder and incitement to murder, according to Turkish Today.
Syrian state television Al-Ikhbariya reported that all judges on the panel agreed to convict Assad. The court said he was responsible for the deliberate killing and torture of several people, including children.
The presiding judge said Assad was the ultimate decision-maker in these crimes and used state institutions and government machinery to carry them out.
The court also sentenced Assad’s brother, Maher al-Assad, to death after finding him guilty of premeditated murder, torture and incitement to murder.
The court ordered international efforts to arrest both brothers.
Assad fled Syria and sought refuge in Russia after his long rule came to an end in late 2024. As a result, Tuesday’s trial and death sentences were handed down in absentia.