00:00A Syrian court has sentenced ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia
00:05for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during Syria's 14-year conflict.
00:12Al-Assad's younger brother Maher was also sentenced to death in absentia
00:16while their maternal cousin Atev Najib received the same sentence while attending the trial in person.
00:23Najib was convicted of leading the crackdown in southern Dara province in 2011
00:27which helped spark the uprising that developed into Syria's civil war.
00:33Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher fled to Russia after opposition fighters
00:36led by interim president Ahmed al-Sharah entered Damascus in December 2024, effectively ending the war.
00:45Najib, a former Syrian army brigadier general, was later detained
00:48and became one of the highest-ranking former officials to face trial.
00:52The conflict left around half a million people dead and millions displaced over 14 years.
Comments