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Episode details

World Service,11 Aug 2026,49 mins

Former Syrian President Assad sentenced to death in absentia

Newshour

Available for 29 days

A court in Syria has sentenced the ousted president, Bashar al-Assad, to death for crimes against humanity committed during the country's civil war. His cousin who was in charge of political security in Daraa province where the uprising began was also sentenced to death. We find out how the ruling has been received in Syria and whether justice has been served. Also in the programme: Does the earthquake in Colombia pose a challenge for the newly inaugurated president, Abelardo de la Espriella? And we hear about the scramble for the right glasses in Europe to catch a safe glimpse of Wednesday's solar eclipse. (Photo: Syria's President Bashar al-Assad speaks during an interview with Australia's SBS News channel in this handout picture provided by SANA on July 1, 2016. Credit: Sana/Handout via Reuters.)

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