{"id":2643253,"date":"2026-08-11T16:38:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T20:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/assad-death-sentence-strains-revamped-russia-syria-relationship\/"},"modified":"2026-08-11T16:48:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T20:48:30","slug":"assad-death-sentence-strains-revamped-russia-syria-relationship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/assad-death-sentence-strains-revamped-russia-syria-relationship\/","title":{"rendered":"Assad death sentence strains revamped Russia-Syria relationship"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fassad-death-sentence-strains-revamped-russia-syria-relationship%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2643253&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A syrian court sentenced former President Bashar Assad to death, signaling a strained relationship with Russia. Assad had secretly fled Syria before rebels seized Damascus, seeking refuge in Moscow, where he remains guarded. The court also sentenced Assad&#8217;s brother and cousin,highlighting ongoing efforts to pursue justice for war crimes committed during the civil war,which lasted from 2011 to 2024. Even though the possibility of extradition exists, most analysts believe Russia is unlikely to hand Assad over, given its strategic alliance and support during the conflict.Russia has played a crucial role in backing Assad\u2019s regime, intervening decisively in 2015 to help turn the tide of the war, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-democrats-navigate-post-election-divide-over-us-policy-toward-israel-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Senate Democrats navigate post-election divide over US policy to...d Israel - Washington Examiner\">maintaining strong military<\/a> and diplomatic ties. Recently, Russia and Syria signed a memorandum to convert joint military bases into training centers, affirming their ongoing partnership. Despite shifts toward less direct influence, Russia continues to leverage military, economic, and soft power avenues to sustain its presence in Syria, balancing strategic interests with diplomatic relations, while the Syrian government shows reluctance to fully expel Russia.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/syria\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"109\">Syrian<\/a> court sentenced former President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/bashar-assad\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"2320\">Bashar Assad<\/a> to death, testing the new government\u2019s relationship with <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/russia\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"80\">Russia<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Assad secretly fled Syria the night before rebels seized Damascus, taking refuge in Moscow with his family. He\u2019s been closely guarded and closed off from the world since, as Russia has sought to secure a relationship with the new regime led by President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ahmed-al-sharaa\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"19702\">Ahmed al Sharaa<\/a>.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4683198\/syria-death-sentence-bashar-assad-strain-relationship-russia\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Syria\u2019s death sentence for Assad puts new strain on revamped relationship with Russia<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4682658\/germany-majority-oppose-afd-firewall\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Majority of Germans oppose \u2018firewall\u2019 against cooperating with AfD in parliament, poll finds<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4682638\/australian-prime-minister-refuses-apology-melon-gag-japan-leader\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Australian prime minister refuses apology for \u2018classless\u2019 melon gag to Japan leader<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Little united the Syrian rebels during the country\u2019s civil war from 2011 to 2024 outside of their hatred of Assad, and Damascus has sought to cultivate this memory of bitterness to keep the country\u2019s disparate groups together. This culminated in a Tuesday decision from the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus, giving the highest penalty to Assad, his brother, and his maternal cousin, only the latter of whom was sentenced in person.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">Riot police stand outside the Palace of Justice during a court session that sentenced Atef Najib, a cousin of ousted President Bashar Assad, to death for overseeing a crackdown in Daraa that helped spark Syria\u2019s uprising and civil war, while Assad and his brother Maher were sentenced to death in absentia, in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ghaith Alsayed)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/08\/localimages\/AP26223380295518.jpg?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Riot police stand outside the Palace of Justice during a court session that sentenced Atef Najib, a cousin of ousted President Bashar Assad, to death for overseeing a crackdown in Daraa that helped spark Syria\u2019s uprising and civil war, while Assad and his brother Maher were sentenced to death in absentia, in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. (Ghaith Alsayed\/AP Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBashar Assad used state agencies to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity,\u201d Judge Fakhreddine al Aryan said during a court session that was <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/syria-assad-death-trial-d4c486b5d39bbdb41108112b0ddc8e79\">aired live on state TV<\/a>, the <em>Associated Press<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sentence gives Syria a legal avenue to push for Assad\u2019s extradition. The 2022 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/en.kremlin.ru\/acts\/news\/70911\">Russia-Syria extradition treaty<\/a>, signed during Assad\u2019s reign, commits each country to extraditing each other\u2019s criminals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sharaa was reported to have personally asked for the extradition of Assad during his visit to Russia last year, during which he met with Russian President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/vladimir-putin\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"79\">Vladimir Putin<\/a>. The request wasn\u2019t accepted, but the added legal justification could give rise to hopes that Assad could actually be extradited to Syria.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In practice, however, most analysts agree that there\u2019s next to zero chance that Russia will extradite Assad. A major part of Russia\u2019s appeal to its strongman allies is that Putin has their back if they\u2019re ever ousted, promising a comfortable retirement. If Assad were handed over to certain mistreatment and death, Moscow would be increasingly viewed as a fair-weather ally, especially by its more unstable partners such as the dictators of Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali, all of whom face existential danger from insurgencies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russia proved itself to be Assad\u2019s greatest ally during the war, surpassing even Iran\u2019s extensive help. It launched a decisive intervention in 2015 when Assad\u2019s government looked to be on the ropes, reversing the rebels\u2019 gains and confining them to a small enclave based around the northwest city of Idlib before freezing the conflict in March 2020.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Without Russia\u2019s assistance and ultimate intervention, Assad would have been ousted nearly a decade earlier. This assistance led many analysts to believe that al Sharaa\u2019s new government would expel Russian influence altogether, shifting instead toward Turkey and the United States. To many\u2019s surprise, neither Russia nor Syria has shown any willingness to end their relationship, choosing instead to cement ties despite significant pressure from the U.S. and Gulf states to eject Russia\u2019s military presence altogether.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Syria\u2019s relationship with Russia extends back to Soviet times, when it forged a close relationship with Moscow to counter U.S. and Israeli influence. The main benefit was to the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/regime\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"4743\">regime\u2019s<\/a> military, with nearly all its equipment up until the fall of the Assad government being of Soviet or Russian origin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new Syrian military inherited much of this Soviet and Russian equipment, along with decades of administrative and technical cooperation with Moscow. Damascus likely decided that it would be easier to continue operating off these templates, rather than replace everything with U.S. or Turkish equipment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Sunday, Russia and Syria signed a memorandum of understanding dictating their military cooperation in the near future. According to the agreement, Russia would turn over control of the civilian parts of its naval base in Tartous and military base at Khmeimim to the Syrian government, while the bases themselves would be turned into joint training centers.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe agreement follows about a year and a half of intensive negotiations led by Syria\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates and settles the future status of the Russian facilities at Khmeimim and Tartous,\u201d the Foreign Ministry\u2019s Media and Communications Department <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/sana.sy\/en\/syria\/2335254\/\">told<\/a> the Syrian Arab News Agency, a state media outlet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis move marks the most significant development since negotiations began approximately a year and a half ago, paving the way for a new phase in Syrian-Russian relations,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new agreement will take effect after three months.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Political analyst Ruslan Trad, a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council, told<em> Al Jazeera<\/em> that the deal \u201cconfirms the classic realist maxim that in politics there are no permanent enemies, only <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/8\/10\/they-need-each-other-whats-behind-the-new-syria-russia-accord\">permanent interests<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He argued that Damascus made the rational calculation that punishing Russia over its support for Assad was more trouble than it was worth. From this angle, leveraging threats to expel Russia in exchange for the extradition of Assad is unlikely.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the war-ravaged country struggling to rebuild, Russia also has many levers it can use in response to any provocations. Russia maintains its veto power in the United Nations Security Council, Syria\u2019s reliance on Moscow\u2019s wheat and energy exports, the Kremlin\u2019s technical expertise in repairing and maintaining inherited military equipment, an inherited debt of roughly $1.2 billion, reconstruction contracts, and ties to the phosphate and currency-printing sectors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Alma Research Center, an Israeli think tank, noted that Syria has explored avenues to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/israel-alma.org\/the-russian-presence-in-syria-from-military-control-to-a-limited-partnership\/\">decrease this reliance<\/a>, including shifting currency printing to the United Arab Emirates and Germany, and is reportedly examining shifting crude oil imports to the U.S. in exchange for lifting remaining sanctions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The think tank noted that Russia\u2019s position in Syria has shifted from its hegemonic stance under the Assad government to \u201ca model resembling a security partnership with the host country. This model is less costly, less exposed to political pressure, and allows Russia to maintain physical access in Syria.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe focus of Russian influence is shifting from the direct use of force to institutional dependence in force development,\u201d the Alma Research Center added. \u201cWeapons maintenance, military training, the supply of spare parts, and ties with the Syrian officer corps may become more important tools than the number of troops or aircraft on the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Overall, the balance of power has clearly shifted in Syria\u2019s favor, the analysis argued, but Syria has no interest or plans to eject Russia altogether.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rybar, a popular Russian analyst Telegram channel with ties to the Russian Ministry of Defense, noted that Russian influence was declining in Syria, and that it was \u201cnaive to expect anything more, especially considering those currently in power in the country are the very people that the Russian armed forces have been bombing for years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, it said, \u201cIt would be equally foolish to think that Russia will abandon Khmeimim and Tartus,\u201d noting the substantial bargaining chip Moscow has in the form of desperately-needed oil and fertilizer exports.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Rybar argued that the Russian military presence in the country is likely to continue to decline, it argued that a shift toward soft power could preserve Russian influence in the country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhile the sign of a base can be removed under pressure from sponsors, the demand from ordinary Syrians for education and medical assistance does not disappear, regardless of the political situation in Damascus,\u201d it wrote, adding that the humanitarian channel \u201ccurrently looks like one of the few areas where Russia can still increase its presence, rather than just maintain its positions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moscow has already begun pursuing this boost in soft power. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A delegation from the Rossotrudnichestvo, the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/rossotrudnichestvo\/31713\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/t.me\/rossotrudnichestvo\/31713\">met with<\/a> their Syrian counterparts from Sunday to Monday, during which the two discussed reopening the so-called Russian House, a cultural center in Damascus that closed in December 2024. Russia expressed its willingness to increase the number of Syrian students studying in Russia, and the two outlined upcoming scientific, cultural, and technological cooperation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/foreign-policy\/4682025\/us-nuclear-material-syria-secret-site\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"4682025\">US NEGOTIATES DEAL FOR REMOVAL OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL FROM COVERT SYRIAN SITE: REPORT<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rybar argued that the Russian House served as far more than just a cultural center, serving instead as a \u201chybrid structure \u2014 simultaneously a humanitarian hub and a platform for consolidating a presence where military and diplomatic channels are narrowing under external pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If Russia continues to play its cards right, it could get the best of both worlds, retaining a significant presence in Syria while keeping its credibility in the eyes of strongman partners elsewhere.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Syrian court sentences Assad to death amid Russia ties<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2653,"featured_media":2643254,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26223380295518.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[67149,40859,53418,43212,84001],"class_list":["post-2643253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-assad-2","tag-death-sentence","tag-international-diplomacy","tag-middle-east-politics","tag-russia-syria-relations"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26223380295518.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2643253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2653"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2643253"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2643253\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2643257,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2643253\/revisions\/2643257"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2643254"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2643253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2643253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2643253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}