Assad sentenced, but accountability remains elusive
A Syrian court has sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for crimes against humanity during the civil war. Former Defense Minister Fahd al-Freij also received the sentence.
It is the first such ruling since Assad fled to Moscow in December 2024. The court cited premeditated murder, torture, and deprivation of liberty against children under 15.
Symbolically, it matters. For victims, it is acknowledgment. For a country shattered by war, it is a statement that impunity has limits.
Practically, it changes little. Assad is in Russia. There is no mechanism to extradite him. The ruling cannot bring back the half a million dead or the millions displaced.
But justice is not only about prisons. It is about record. About saying what happened and who was responsible. International courts have struggled with Syria because of geopolitics. Domestic courts, even in absentia, can start the process.
The challenge now is reconciliation. Sentencing the top leader does not rebuild Syria. It does not address the sectarian wounds or the role of other actors in the war.
Still, this verdict sets a precedent. Leaders who order atrocities cannot assume history will forget. Even in exile, even years later, the law can catch up.
For Syria, the hard work begins now: truth, reparations, and a political settlement that includes victims, not just victors.