OAN Staff Addie Davis and Brooke Mallory
1:20 PM – Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was sentenced to death in absentia by a Damascus court on Tuesday after being convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The Latin phrase “in absentia” means “in absence” or “while a person is not present.”
The ruling holds Assad accountable for systemic atrocities — including premeditated murder, torture, and arbitrary detention — committed throughout Syria’s 14-year civil war, which began in 2011.
Following the collapse of his regime in December 2024, Assad fled to Moscow, where he was granted political asylum by Russia. Since he remains in exile, Syria’s transitional government has formally requested his extradition, though Russia has so far refused to hand him over, leaving the enforcement of his sentence in doubt.
Several other Assad-era officials were also sentenced to death in absentia alongside the former dictator. However, Assad’s cousin Atef Najib, the former political security chief for southern Syria’s Daraa province, faced trial in person. Clad in prison attire, Najib stood inside a courtroom cage as the judge read aloud his death sentence.
Hundreds of thousands of people were killed during the civil war, while millions more were internally displaced or forced to flee the country as refugees. Since the fall of the Assad regime and the end of the war, more than one million displaced Syrians have returned home under the leadership of transitional president Ahmed al-Sharaa, according to various international estimates.
Meanwhile, diplomatic relations between the United States and Syria have warmed significantly under transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Following the collapse of the Assad regime, Washington initiated diplomatic outreach to Damascus, with President Donald Trump welcoming al-Sharaa for a visit to the White House — the first time a Syrian head of state has received such an invitation.
The bilateral relationship has continued to rapidly normalize, culminating in Washington issuing a roadmap for sanctions relief and moving to rescind Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. In July this year, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Trump had initiated the process to rescind Syria’s State Sponsor of Terrorism designation, held since 1979.
In exchange, the transitional government in Damascus has provided formal security assurances, committed to anti-terrorism initiatives and actively cooperated with U.S. officials on regional stability efforts, according to Security Council Report.
- Severing Ties with Iran and Intercepting Weapons: Damascus completely broke off military ties with Tehran, expelling Iranian military advisors and seizing over 4,000 weapons systems intended for Iran-backed terrorist groups like Hezbollah.
- Foiling Hostile Operations: Syrian interior forces actively dismantled Hezbollah-affiliated cells attempting to launch regional attacks out of Damascus and Quneitra.
- Assuming Direct Counterterrorism Control: The new government took over the management of ISIS detention centers and counterterrorism operations in eastern Syria, allowing the U.S. military to safely draw down its troop presence and hand over military bases.
- Integrating Regional Forces: Damascus signed integration and ceasefire agreements with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), significantly reducing internal conflict and consolidating a national defense force.
- Pursuing De-escalation with Israel: President al-Sharaa opened preliminary security dialogues with Israel regarding border arrangements along the Golan Heights, affirming that Syria would not intervene militarily in regional conflicts.
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