A Syrian court has sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia, holding him responsible for killings, torture, arbitrary detention and other crimes committed during the country’s long-running war.

The ruling represents the first conviction against Assad in Syria since his government was toppled in December 2024, ending decades of Assad family rule. Assad fled the country as rebel forces closed in on Damascus and is now living in Russia after receiving asylum there.

The court also sentenced Assad’s brother, Maher al-Assad, to death. Maher previously commanded the Fourth Armoured Division, a key military force involved in government operations against opposition-held areas.

Former security official Atef Najib was also given a death sentence. He was the only one of the three defendants to attend the proceedings in person after being detained by Syrian authorities in 2025.

The court’s verdict covered charges including multiple intentional killings, including the deaths of children, torture, unlawful detention and crimes against humanity.

The announcement prompted celebrations in Damascus and Deraa, where residents gathered with Syrian flags and photographs of people who were killed or detained during the conflict.

In Deraa, demonstrators displayed photographs of Hamza al-Khatib, a 13-year-old whose death after being detained became a major symbol of the government’s violent response to the 2011 uprising.

The proceedings lasted almost four months and were presented by Syria’s new authorities as part of efforts to pursue transitional justice and hold former government officials accountable.

The death sentences, however, have also generated concerns that proceedings conducted in absentia could complicate efforts to bring Assad and other defendants back to Syria for further legal proceedings.

Assad was removed from power in December 2024 after rebel forces seized Damascus, bringing an end to his family’s decades-long rule. The conflict that began in 2011 resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions of Syrians.