WorldSyrians celebrate death sentences for Bashar al-Assad and senior officials

People in Syria’s Deraa have welcomed death sentences handed to former President Bashar al-Assad and senior figures in his security apparatus. The convictions concern war crimes and crimes against humanity. Among those sentenced is Assad’s cousin Atef Najib, who formerly led political security in Deraa and was accused of directing the harsh crackdown on protesters there in 2011. Assad and other senior officials fled to Russia after his government was overthrown in December 2024, making extradition unlikely.