Syrian court sentences Assad and two relatives to death for Deraa crimes
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A Damascus criminal court on Tuesday sentenced former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to death, along with his brother Maher and cousin Necip Atıf, for premeditated murder and crimes against humanity over the 2011 Deraa crackdown. The verdict represents the first legal accountability for top regime officials in connection with the events that ignited the country’s civil war.
The Verdict
The Damascus Criminal Court convicted Assad of premeditated murder, ruling that the actions of his security forces in Deraa in 2011 constituted crimes against humanity. Necip Atıf, who served as head of political security and is Assad’s cousin, was also convicted of murder and torture and sentenced to death. Maher Assad, the former president’s brother, received the same sentence in connection with the crackdown. The court delivered its verdict on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The Deraa Crackdown
The sentencing stems from the Assad regime’s violent suppression of protests in the southern city of Deraa in 2011. Security forces led by officials including Atıf opened fire on demonstrators, killing dozens and sparking a nationwide uprising. The events in Deraa are widely seen as the catalyst for Syria’s 14-year civil war, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions. The court’s finding characterized the killings as systematic and part of a state policy.
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