Syria sentences absent Bashar al-Assad to death over killings, torture

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A Syrian court tried ousted leader Bashar al-Assad in absentia and sentenced him to death, convicting him for killings, torture, and arbitrary arrests during Syria's 14-year war. Assad was removed from power in a rebel offensive in 2024, ending decades of his family's rule.

DAMASCUS, Aug 11 (Reuters) - A Syrian court sentenced ousted leader Bashar al-Assad to death on Tuesday after a trial in absentia, convicting him of crimes including killings, torture, and arbitrary arrest during the country's nearly 14-year war. It was the first conviction against Assad, who was ousted in a rebel offensive in December 2024 that ended decades of his family's iron-fisted rule over Syria, and the brutal war that killed hundreds of thousands of Syrians.