Former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity and war crimes during his time in office. The sentencing took place this week at the Criminal Court of Damascus, where Assad and his younger brother Maher were tried in absentia. Judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan stated: 'Bashar Assad used state agencies to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity.'
Flight to Russia and Demands for Extradition
In December 2024, Syria's 14-year civil war came to an end, and Bashar, along with Maher, fled to Russia, where they have remained to this day. Syria's new government has repeatedly asked Russia to release the Assads so they can face prosecution.
Atrocities Under Assad's Rule
Throughout the years of civil war in Syria, nerve agents, chlorine barrel bombs, and mustard gas were used to torment civilians who disagreed with Assad's government. More than 150,000 are estimated to have disappeared and likely been killed under Assad's regime after civil war erupted in 2011. Over half a million Syrians were killed when the government used chemical weapons against civilians and carpet-bombed many cities, including Aleppo and Damascus.
The scale of Assad's organised killings is something not seen 'since the Nazis', according to former US war crimes ambassador Stephen Rapp. The Assad family ruled over Syria for over 50 years, with Bashar's father, Hafez al-Assad, also known for his iron-fisted rule. In 1982, Hafez al-Assad ordered the army to 'quell' an uprising in the town of Hama from the Muslim Brotherhood against his government. Reports say more than 1,000 civilians were killed, but the exact number, like in many instances during the Assad reign, is believed to be much higher than official reports dictate.
Sexual Violence as Warfare
Bashar al-Assad's forces also utilised sexual violence as a form of warfare against Syrians, in addition to bombing and the use of chemical weapons. Sexual violence was used against men inside Syrian prisons as a form of torture by authorities, Human Rights Watch found.
