India, Aug. 11 -- A Syrian court on Tuesday sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad and his younger brother, Maher al-Assad, to death for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The hearing was presided over by Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan, with the participation of Republic Public Prosecutor Judge Hassan al-Turba, Head of the National Commission for Transitional Justice Abdul Basit Abdul Latif and members of the commission, state news agency SANA reported.

Representatives of international legal and humanitarian organisations, along with families of victims, attended the hearing.

The court also sentenced Assad's maternal cousin, Atef Najib, to death. Najib, who was present at the hearing, was convicted over his role in leading the cr...