According to reports, a Damascus court has sentenced former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia. Assad is reported to have fled to Moscow during the Syrian coup.
Reports have emerged indicating that deposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow during the Syrian coup and remains at large. This development comes as a Damascus court sentenced Assad to death in absentia for crimes against humanity, including premeditated murder of children, as reported earlier today.
The Zioneer first reported the court's death sentence at 11:25 AM Jerusalem time on Tuesday, citing an Israeli media report. Throughout the morning, additional details emerged: the court also sentenced Assad's brother Maher al-Assad, cousin Atif Najib, and his nephew to death. Najib is in custody of the new government and expected to be executed. The convictions included war crimes and crimes against humanity for the suppression of the 2011 uprising.
As The Zioneer reported later at 12:28 PM, the sentencing is part of the new Syrian government's efforts to prosecute former regime members, though commentators have noted the human rights record of the current leadership.
It remains unclear whether the death sentence will be enforced, as Assad is believed to be in Moscow under Russian protection. The whereabouts of Maher al-Assad are also not publicly confirmed.
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