Damascus, Aug 12 (V7N)- Crowds took to the streets in Syria following a court ruling reportedly sentencing fallen dictator Bashar al-Assad and several of his associates to death, with many citizens describing the verdict as a moment of relief after years of conflict and repression.
After the verdict was announced, people gathered outside a courthouse in Damascus carrying Syrian national flags. Some brought photographs of relatives who were killed or allegedly subjected to torture during the previous government.
Many victims and their families recalled years of suffering under Assad's rule and expressed relief at the court's decision.
One Syrian citizen said they had been unable to live a normal life for years, recalling the unrest that began in Daraa and the subsequent war and suffering endured by millions.
The ruling also prompted emotional reactions from people who said they had personally experienced detention and torture during the previous regime. Some expressed gratitude over the sentences against members of the former government.
Assad's rule ended in December 2024, when opposition forces seized Damascus and he and his family left Syria for Moscow, where they were granted political asylum.
Following the fall of Assad, Ahmed al-Shara, the leader of the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), took a leading role in forming Syria's new government.
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