Key facts
- Rifaat al-Assad, uncle of President Bashar al-Assad, has been sentenced to death by a Syrian court.
- The conviction is for crimes against humanity.
- The alleged crimes occurred during the Syrian conflict in the 1980s.
A Syrian court has sentenced Rifaat al-Assad, the uncle of President Bashar al-Assad, to death for crimes against humanity. Rifaat al-Assad was convicted for alleged war crimes committed during the Syrian conflict in the 1980s. He is a prominent figure and a cousin of the late President Hafez al-Assad.
