Syrian court sentences ousted Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia

A court in the country of Syria made a very important decision about the man who used to be Syria's leader, Bashar al-Assad.

The judges said he did very bad things during a long war, such as hurting and killing many people, including children.

They gave him the strongest punishment there is: the death penalty.

Bashar was not in the courtroom because he is not in Syria anymore, so the decision was made without him, which is called a trial 'in absentia.'

The court gave the same punishment to his brother, Maher, and his cousin, Atef Najib.

Najib was in the courtroom, standing inside a metal cage while wearing a prisoner's uniform.

He used to lead security in a place called Daraa, where Syria's uprising first began, and the court said he hurt people there, including children.

The war lasted almost 14 years and sadly caused about half a million deaths.

Bashar left Syria with his family in December 2024 and now lives far away in Russia.