Syria’s former president Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher al-Assad and cousin Atef Najib have been sentenced to death for crimes committed during the country’s nearly 14-year conflict, in a landmark ruling by a Damascus court.

The Criminal Court in Damascus found Bashar al-Assad guilty in absentia of premeditated murder, torture and crimes against humanity. His brother Maher was also sentenced to death in absentia for premeditated murder and torture.

Najib, a former political security chief in Deraa, was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity. He was accused of ordering a deadly crackdown on protesters in Deraa in 2011, an episode that helped trigger Syria’s uprising and subsequent civil war.

According to Al Jazeera, the verdict could provide relief to Syrians who have long demanded accountability for killings, torture and forced displacement under the former government. The court said witness testimony established Bashar al-Assad as the highest-level decision-maker behind the crimes.

The ruling marks one of the strongest judicial actions yet by Syria’s transitional authorities against senior figures from the former regime.

BOB Post