A court in Damascus sentenced ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia on Tuesday, convicting him of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Syria's nearly 14-year civil war. The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus also sentenced Assad's younger brother, Maher al-Assad, to death in absentia on charges including premeditated murder and torture. The judge said witness testimony established that Assad functioned as the highest decision-maker behind the crimes and had directed state institutions to carry them out. The Damascus court ordered that Bashar and Maher al-Assad be pursued internationally, and Syria's transitional government has formally asked Russia to hand them over, though Moscow has given no indication it intends to comply. Because the trial proceeded in absentia, the death sentence cannot be carried out unless Assad is extradited or otherwise returned to Syrian custody, a scenario that remains unlikely given his current protection in Russia.