Syria justice minister defends Assad trial, death sentence after Amnesty criticism

Syria's justice ministry has hit back against criticism from Amnesty International, which condemned the death penalty verdict against former dictator Bashar al-Assad.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the justice ministry said that Amnesty's criticism of the trials does not reflect the judicial procedures of the cases or the safeguards guaranteed by Syrian law, according to state news agency SANA.

The ministry said that the trials were held at specialised civilian criminal courts under qualified judges, with the attendance of both victims and their representatives.

It further stated that the proceedings were conducted under constitutional and legal safeguards under the principles of international humanitarian and human rights law, and that the rulings were based on facts and evidence gathered, with defence and appeal rights also guaranteed.

Amnesty, however, said on Tuesday that the trials "should take place before ordinary civilian courts, with the participation of victims and without resorting to the death penalty", adding that they should also be part of a victim-centred process ensuring truth, justice and reparations.

In the same statement, the group also called on the government more generally to "abolish in absentia trials, end the use of the death penalty, criminalize core crimes covered by international law in domestic legislation, and undertake comprehensive judicial reform to ensure that all judicial proceedings fully respect fair-trial guarantees, international law, and international standards".

This, it said, would allow the country to "truly turn the page on the horrors of the past".

The trial against Assad, which was held in absentia due to his self-imposed exile in Russia, is part of the first trials against former regime officials beginning in April, who are accused of crimes against humanity committed during the civil war, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths.

This includes around 160,000 people who were forcibly disappeared, mostly by the regime.

Alongside Assad, six other regime members were also given the death sentence, including his brother Maher and cousin Atef Najib, who was the only person present at the trial.

Najib, who headed political security in the southern province of Daraa in 2011, launched a deadly crackdown on protests in the province that later led to the uprising that began the civil war.

Former defence minister Fahd al-Freij and Louay al-Ali, head of the military intelligence of Daraa, were also convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The defendants have 30 days to appeal the decision, Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais told state TV.