Pursuit of Former Officials for Crimes Committed During Syrian Civil War

TLDR

• SYRIA: A SYRIAN court on Tuesday sentenced former President Bashar Assad to death in absentia.
• He fled to Russia, where he was granted asylum, while Syria’s new authorities have begun pursuing former officials over alleged crimes committed during the country’s civil war.
• The court also handed the death penalty to Atef Najib, a senior security official under Assad’s rule and a cousin of the former dictator.