DAMASCUS — Bashar al-Assad ruled Syria for nearly a quarter of a century, survived a nationwide uprising, a brutal civil war, international outrage and repeated calls for his removal. Damascus court sentenced Assad to death in absentia, finding him responsible for killings, torture, arbitrary arrests and crimes against humanity committed during the years of conflict. His younger brother, Maher al-Assad, and former security official Atef Najib were also handed death sentences. The ruling is the first conviction of Bashar al-Assad by a Syrian court since his government collapsed in December 2024. Bashar al-Assad inherited power from his father, Hafez al-Assad, in 2000.