A Syrian court sentences former president Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia over killings and torture, according to multiple reports. The ruling is described as the first conviction against the ousted leader in the case.

The proceedings also involve the sentencing of other security figures. Atef (also spelled Atif) Najib, a security official associated with Assad’s administration, receives a death sentence as well. One outlet says six former military and security officials are sentenced, including a commander linked to the Fourth Division, while another reports at least Najib’s sentence. Coverage notes that only one defendant, Atif Najib, is physically present in court, with the others tried without being there.

Context reported across the outlets includes Assad’s absence from Syria. One report says Assad fled Damascus during a rebel offensive in December 2024 and is currently in Moscow. The differing angles focus on the scope of the defendants named and the emphasis on how the trial proceeds in absentia, but all sources report death sentences for Assad and at least one senior security official for alleged atrocities.