Afghanistan, Aug. 11 -- A Syrian criminal court has sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia over killings, torture and crimes against humanity committed during the country's 14-year conflict, marking a major judicial step against senior figures of his former government.
The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus also sentenced Assad's younger brother, Maher al-Assad, and his maternal cousin Atef Najib to death in the same case. Bashar and Maher were tried in absentia, while Najib, a former political security chief in Daraa province, was present in court following his arrest earlier this year.
The case involves allegations of premeditated murder, torture, arbitrary detention and other serious abuses linked to the former ...