A Syrian court sentenced ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad along with his younger brother to death in absentia on Tuesday for crimes against humanity and war crimes during Syria's 14-year conflict that left about half a million people dead. Amid tight security, Najib stood inside a cage wearing a prisoner's uniform as the judge read the sentence. He is a former Syrian army brigadier general who was head of the political security branch in southern Syria's Daraa province under Assad in 2011. The case became a catalyst for mass protests against the repressive policies of Assad's security forces. Fifteen years later, "there is happiness that Atef Najib was sentenced to death," he said.