Syrian officials hail death sentences for Assad regime as victory for justice

Syrian ministers on Tuesday welcomed death sentences handed down against ousted leader Bashar al-Assad and senior figures of the former regime, describing the verdicts as a historic step toward justice for victims of crimes against humanity.

Death sentences handed down in Damascus

The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus earlier Tuesday sentenced Brig. Gen. Atef Najib, the former head of Political Security in Daraa province, to death for his role in suppressing the 2011 uprising. The court also handed down death sentences in absentia to Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher al-Assad — former commander of the Fourth Division — and six other former security and military officials who remain at large, finding them guilty of crimes against humanity, intentional killing, torture and arbitrary detention.

Ministers welcome 'historic' verdicts

Interior Minister Anas Khattab said the ruling marked a turning point for accountability. "Today, justice has prevailed for the victims of crimes and violations committed against Syrians," he said, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency. Khattab added that the government would continue pursuing all perpetrators until they received "just punishment," calling the sentences a "historic step toward redressing victims."

Information Minister Khaled Zaarour stated the verdicts against "leaders of the former regime" represent "another victory for Syrians and a definitive confirmation that there will be no impunity," according to SANA. Awqaf Minister Mohammad Abu al-Khair Shukri described the rulings as a new step toward consolidating the rule of law and restoring rights to victims.

Judiciary affirms independence

Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais said the verdicts were issued "in the name of the Syrian people" following proceedings that adhered to Syrian penal law and international humanitarian law, Syrian Alikhbariah TV reported. He stressed that the Syrian judiciary is independent and called on citizens to trust state institutions in the post-regime transition.

Syrian Bar Association head Mohammad Ali al-Tawil called the ruling "a historic landmark" in the country's judicial history, paying tribute to victims of years of oppression. "There will be no position or authority in the new Syria above the voice of law and justice," he said, adding that the judiciary is moving toward healing the country's wounds.

Celebrations in 'birthplace of revolution'

Residents of Daraa later gathered at the Omari Mosque in the Daraa al-Balad neighborhood to celebrate the sentences against Najib and other former officials, SANA reported. Participants held signs reading "Truth has prevailed and falsehood has perished" and "Daraa, birthplace of the revolution, has prevailed again," commemorating the site where regime forces cracked down on worshippers in March 2011, triggering the nationwide uprising.

The trial, whose first hearings began on April 26, centers on Najib's role in suppressing the Daraa protests that began on March 18, 2011, after children were arrested for anti-regime graffiti. Najib was also linked to the storming of the Omari Mosque, and the case represents a major step in Syria's transitional justice process following the capture of Damascus by opposition factions on Dec. 8, 2024, ending 61 years of Baath Party rule.