Former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher, a military commander (File)

A court in Syria’s capital Damascus has sentenced former leader Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia on Tuesday for crimes against humanity and war crimes, trying to quell the Syrian uprising from March 2011.

The Fourth Criminal Court ruled that “Bashar Assad used state agencies to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity” as 100,000s of civilians were slain from attacks, siege, and torture and execution in prison.

Assad’s brother Maher and his maternal cousin Atef Najib were also condemned to death.

Maher al-Assad, who led the 4th Army Division, fled alongside his brother and other family members to Russia. Najib, charged with overseeing a crackdown in Daraa Province that led to the uprising, was in court.