Damascus: A Syrian court has sentenced ousted President Bashar al-Assad to death, according to a news agency.
The verdict was delivered in absentia, as Assad was not present before the court.
The court also handed down a death sentence to Atef Najib, a former security official who served under Assad.
According to the court, Assad was convicted on charges of premeditated and intentional murder.
On December 8, 2024, Syrian rebel forces captured Damascus and announced the end of Bashar al-Assad’s government.
After entering the capital, rebel fighters took control of state television and radio stations, as well as the Ministry of Defence building. Crowds celebrated in the streets after government troops withdrew from the area.
At the time, the rebel leadership said former prime minister Mohammed al-Jalali would continue overseeing state institutions until a peaceful transfer of power was completed.
A British news agency later reported that Assad had boarded an aircraft and departed for an undisclosed destination.
The Assad family ruled Syria for more than five decades. Hafez al-Assad governed the country from 1971 until his death in 2000. His son Bashar al-Assad assumed the presidency in July 2000 and remained in power until his government was overthrown in December 2024.
