Public Radio International A Syrian court sentenced ousted President Bashar al-Assad and his brother to death in absentia this week for murder, torture and crimes against humanity committed before and during the country’s 14-year civil war that left about half a million people dead.
The verdicts by a court in Damascus are the first against Assad or any members of his inner circle since his family’s five decades in power came to an end 20 months ago. They are mostly symbolic, however, because Assad and his brother, Maher, had fled to Russia after the Syrian government’s collapse to rebel forces in December 2024.
Six other former officials were also sentenced to death in absentia. The only former official sentenced to death and in custody is Assad’s maternal cousin, Atef Najib, who oversaw a crackdown on dissent that led to an uprising that sparked the civil war.
Damascus-based analyst Mutasem al-Syoufi said Syrians are welcoming the decision.
“He deserves this,” al-Syoufi said. “Assad is not a president who is seeking asylum in Russia. He is a wanted man.”
The new post-Assad Syria is taking shape in Damascus. This week, its new government finalized an agreement with Moscow to scale back Russia’s military presence on Syria’s Mediterranean coast. The World’s Host Marco Werman spoke with Syria analyst Joshua Landis, who heads the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.
Marco Werman: Will the Kremlin ever surrender Assad?
Joshua Landis: No, Russia has made it clear that they will not hand them over. On the other hand, once Putin steps down from power in Russia, there will be a big question mark over that issue, and I’m sure the Syrians will be pushing constantly to revisit it.
So, is this death sentence more than just symbolism?
For the time being, it’s not. But it was an important moment. And today, Syria has been carrying out televised court cases, and there was a very high-profile one against Atef Najib, a cousin of the president who was in charge of torturing some young Syrians that sparked this uprising in 2011. And he stood in front of the cameras in a yellow prison suit with big black stripes on it.
That was a cathartic moment for Syrians to see these trials and to hear that the [deposed] president was being condemned to death. And there was a lot of celebration in Damascus. Of course, Assad presented himself as someone protecting Syria’s minoritiesnd. A many of the minorities feel beaten down today, and they may look at this as a moment of grays rather than black and white.
That was a cathartic moment for Syrians to see these trials and to hear that the [deposed] president was being condemned to death. And there was a lot of celebration in Damascus. Of course, Assad presented himself as someone protecting Syria’s minoritiesnd. A many of the minorities feel beaten down today, and they may look at this as a moment of grays rather than black and white.
A death sentence then for Atef Najib, how soon do you think that sentence will be carried out, or in a slowly evolving democratic Syria, will he be able to appeal?
I don’t think he’s going to be able to appeal, and it’s not clear that Syria is evolving toward democracy. There was a parliament just appointed a few weeks ago, but all the members were appointed directly or indirectly by the [interim] President [Ahmed al-Sharaa]. But clearly there is a big demand Syria for retribution and for justice to be served against many of the regime leaders. And this is a big step in that direction.
Adjacent to that, is Syria’s new leader, al-Sharaa, is he making moves to assure minorities in Syria?
Minorities were very frightened that things could be worse. There was a massacre on the Alawite coast in March of last year. Then there was a massacre in July in the Druze territory. Israel stepped in and has protected the Druze, and the Druze have a quasi-independent statelet that they have established there. The regime has encircled it and it’s being strangled economically. It’s not clear how long it will hold out. And the Kurds were defeated. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that America had supported were defeated in January, February of this year. So, these minorities — the Kurds, Alawites, Druze — have been defeated and new arrangements are being made. Some are happier than others, but minorities are very worried that this is a very Sunni regime and that they will be second-class citizens in the new Syria.
Asma al-Assad, she’s a British and Syrian national, the wife of Bashar, is she also holed up in Moscow and what is her status?
She is holed up in Moscow, and so are Assad’s children. We believe that they have managed to get off a few billion dollars, and they own some tall skyscrapers in downtown Moscow and are leading fairly normal lives. They’ve been told not to go wandering around the street. One of Bashar al-Assad’s sons filmed himself walking down the streets in Moscow, and he was reprimanded for that immediately. So, they are living in impunity and living in considerable luxury today.
It is understandable why the Assads are in Moscow. Under his regime, Syria was in Russia’s orbit. The Kremlin had several military bases in Syria. What sort of deal have Damascus and Moscow now reached about the future of those bases?
Well, they just issued an important accord this week in which the two bases, Hmeimim, the big air force base, and then another port, Tartus, are going to be converted, not into exclusive Russian military bases, but they are going to be training centers for the Syrian military. But Russia’s still going to play a role in both of them. So, in some ways, it’s a good diplomatic solution because Syria once again gets to impose its sovereignty over these two bases. But at the same time, Syria maintains relations with Moscow without alienating America.
So, it’s downgraded Russia’s role, but it has Russia with good relations because it needs Russia for votes in the UN. And it’s not clear where Syria’s relationship with Israel is headed because Israel’s taken a whole bunch of new territory in Syria around the Golan Heights. Syria, the new president, wants Israel to move out of that and to strike a peace deal that will establish firm borders between Israel and Syria. And the United States is encouraging that, but not pushing very hard.
So, it’s downgraded Russia’s role, but it has Russia with good relations because it needs Russia for votes in the UN. And it’s not clear where Syria’s relationship with Israel is headed because Israel’s taken a whole bunch of new territory in Syria around the Golan Heights. Syria, the new president, wants Israel to move out of that and to strike a peace deal that will establish firm borders between Israel and Syria. And the United States is encouraging that, but not pushing very hard.
So finally, Joshua, pulling back the lens, we know that more than 3 million Syrians have returned home. What have they found as they’ve gone back, and are they staying to build a new Syria?
They’re going back, but the situation, of course, is terrible in Syria because so much of it was destroyed. Ninety percent of Syrians today are living under the poverty line.
As you said earlier, it’s unclear if democracy in Syria is the endgame, but would you say that those who’ve gone home are mostly rowing in that direction. And is it a cause for optimism for you?
It’s a cause for optimism that people are going home. The major achievement of Ahmad al-Sharaa, this new president who we have to say used to be the head of al-Qaeda in Syria, he has really transformed himself. He’s given up any revolutionary ambitions. He wants peace with Israel and he wants to rebuild the country. He has done an extraordinary thing, which is to get the embrace of President [Donald] Trump and to have all American sanctions lifted from Syria.
Today, Syria can rebuild, and American oil companies are back there. The World Bank just extended it $100 million in loans to rebuild the financial system and Gulf countries are beginning to really invest money in Syria. So, there is a lot of hope for rebuilding Syria and getting money back and being able to provide a home that Syrians will want to return to. Democracy? Big question mark. Most Syrians today, they’re very grateful to shut up, and they’re willing to put up with a large degree of authoritarianism today because they see good things happening, and they believe better for us to have an enlightened dictator. And that’s the way many Syrians look at him. Not all. The minorities, 30% of Syrians, tend to be very skeptical.
Today, Syria can rebuild, and American oil companies are back there. The World Bank just extended it $100 million in loans to rebuild the financial system and Gulf countries are beginning to really invest money in Syria. So, there is a lot of hope for rebuilding Syria and getting money back and being able to provide a home that Syrians will want to return to. Democracy? Big question mark. Most Syrians today, they’re very grateful to shut up, and they’re willing to put up with a large degree of authoritarianism today because they see good things happening, and they believe better for us to have an enlightened dictator. And that’s the way many Syrians look at him. Not all. The minorities, 30% of Syrians, tend to be very skeptical.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
AP contributed to this report.
The post Deposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sentenced to death as Syria turns a page appeared first on The World from PRX.
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