Former Syrian President Assad Sentenced To Death In Absentia

A Syrian court handed down death sentences in absentia on Tuesday for ousted President Bashar Assad and his younger brother Maher, along with Assad's maternal cousin Atef Najib, citing crimes against humanity and war crimes stemming from Syria's 14-year conflict, which resulted in approximately half a million deaths. Najib, who had led the crackdown in Daraa province that sparked the initial uprising and later civil war, appeared in court under heavy security in a prisoner's uniform as the sentence was delivered. Assad and his brother fled to Russia after insurgents entered Damascus in December 2014. Najib, a former brigadier general in the Syrian army who previously headed the Political Security Branch in Daraa province in 2011, was detained later and became one of the highest-ranking officials to face trial.