Syrian court sentences Assad to death for war crimes
A Syrian court has sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad to death for war crimes, according to Channel 4.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A Syrian court has sentenced former president Bashar al-Assad to death for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the country's 14-year civil war. The verdict, delivered in a Damascus courthouse, also condemned his brother Maher al-Assad and his cousin Atif Najib, a former security chief, to the same punishment. The trial was held by the transitional government that took power after Assad fled to Moscow in late 2024.
The court found Assad guilty of murder, torture, and crimes against humanity, including the intentional killing of children. The civil war, which began in 2011 after protests inspired by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, left around half a million people dead. Assad's forces used chemical weapons, barrel bombs, and indiscriminate shelling against civilian areas, including a nerve gas attack on a rebel-held neighbourhood of Damascus.
Outside the courthouse, crowds celebrated the verdicts, holding up pictures of relatives who had been killed or disappeared. One man who said he had been detained as a 13-year-old told reporters he was taken from school by the regime. "Thank God Assad fell and Atif Najib will be executed," he said, "and god willing it will be Bashar Assad's turn next."
Assad himself remains in Russia, where he was given sanctuary by President Vladimir Putin after his regime collapsed. Russian forces still have two military bases in Syria, and a recent deal between Moscow and Syria's new leadership has allowed some Russian troops to remain. There is no indication that Russia intends to hand Assad over, and the new Syrian government appears unable to compel his extradition.
The sentencing marks a symbolic step toward justice for many Syrians, but the process remains incomplete. Assad's cousin Atif Najib was present in court and faces execution, but Assad and his brother are beyond the reach of the court for now. The transitional government, led by former rebel commander Ahmed al-Sharaa, has sought to show it can deliver accountability, but the fate of the exiled former president remains in Moscow's hands.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 4 | ITV |
|---|---|---|
| A judge sentenced Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher to death for murder, torture, and crimes against humanity. | ||
| Atif Najib, Assad's cousin and former security chief, was sentenced to execution. | ||
| Bashar al-Assad is under the protection of Vladimir Putin and Russia will not hand him over. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Channel 4's coverage focused on the historical arc of Assad's rule, from his meeting with the Queen to his fall and exile. It highlighted the role of his cousin Atif Najib in the early crackdown and the emotional reaction of survivors. The report also examined Russia's refusal to extradite Assad, noting the strategic importance of Russian military bases in Syria and the recent deal with the new leadership.
- “Syria's former dictator Bashar al-Assad has been sentenced to death by a Syrian court he was found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity during Syria's civil war”
- “the judge said including intentionally killing children”
- “Russia has two military bases in Syria a few days ago it struck a deal with Syria's new leader to keep some of its forces here”
ITV1's coverage emphasised the atrocities of Assad's regime, including chemical weapons and barrel bombs, and presented the sentencing as a form of 'justice of a sort' because it happened in absentia. The report also highlighted the joy of the crowds and the fact that one of Assad's henchmen, Atif Najib, was present to hear the sentence. It noted the incomplete nature of justice, with Assad still in exile in Russia.
- “Today justice of a sort was done by the country's transitional government. One of its courts sentenced Assad to death in his absence admittedly for crimes against humanity.”
- “The murder of children, acts of torture and arbitrary imprisonment. Just some of the crimes against humanity for which a Syrian court sentenced a Syrian president to death.”
- “After the sentencing, the crowds carried pictures of some of the many thousands of Assad's victims who did not live to see this day.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.